App
Fred R. Coulter—November 18, 1995
[Up]
or Download
| This Sabbath is going to be a keynote Sabbath; we're going to cover some things that are going to be very shocking. We are going to cover some things leading into 2-Peter and Jude; and this series is just happening to fall right at the time when these things are very important and are taking place. First of all, let's look at some Scriptures and then we will get into get into 2-Peter, and then we will get into what is happening in the Churches of God today.
Let's go to 2-Timothy 3:13—here's an absolutely key important verse to understand, because we are living in a time when there is going to be more deception; there are going to be more lies; there are going to be more double-speaking than ever before; and we are going to have to be responsible to understand the Truth from the error and separate out the error weaved within the Truth. We're also going to see that what has happened in the Churches of God recently was planned with foreknowledge, with forethought and with deception!
2-Timothy 3:13: "But wicked men and imposters… ['seducers' (KJV)—those who come along to entice you with smooth sayings. Seducers are those that come along and deceive.] …shall become worse and worse… [We could also put in there: bold and more bold] …deceiving others and being deceived themselves…." Then notice he tells Timothy what he has to do to avoid that. He points right to the Scriptures—does he not? Yes! There is a Scripture in Rev. 12:9 that says that the devil is actively 'deceiving the whole world.' And he's doing this with power and in a profound way; and it is affecting the Churches of God.
We're going to see how important and profound this is. I think, brethren, many times in the past we would go and we would read a Scripture, or we would give something, and we'd say 'yes, yes, yes'—we'd all shake our head in agreement; but I don't think we understand the absolute deep and profound things which are taking place in the world that are affecting the Church of God directly and on the inside of it, too.
Revelation 17:5—of the woman who's riding the beast: "And across her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." I have a book that I'm reading, it is called All Roads Lead to Rome? (the Overturning of the Reformation). While I concentrated quite a bit here recently concerning the Zionist's deception, there is also the Catholic backlash—and watch out, it is going to come and it is going to be awesome! I'll get into that a little bit later. It is not only the 'mother' at Rome, but it is all of her daughters and they all came out of Babylon. One of the great identifying factors of it, as we have said, is any form of the trinity—be it one God with three manifestations or three who are one. Any form or any variation of that you need to be aware of. Even Judaism takes the letters YHVH:
- Y—the Father
- H—the mother
- V—the Son
- H—they're all one
—the three in one. And that is in mystic Judaism. So watch for that sign because it's very, very important; it's something that we truly really need to understand.
Let's go to Matthew 24 and let's see something that's important for us to understand and realize and see that's taking place. One of the first things that Jesus said when they wanted to know what was going to take place at the end of the age. Now, if we're not living in the end of the age, then I don't know… We surely are. How long is it going to be 'til the end I don't know, but I do know this: It's going to take every bit of what we can do to keep up with what's going on. So, they [the disciples] wanted to know when these things would be (Matt. 24:4).
Matthew 24:5: "Then Jesus answered and said to them, 'Be on guard… [watch out, be alert, beware, be looking out] …so that no one deceives you. For many… [not just a few] …shall come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ"; and they shall deceive many."
Verse 24: …For there shall arise false Christs… ['pseudochristos'—'pseudo' means a fake or a replacement or put before] …and false prophets… [How do they convince you of their authority? even though you know they're lying?] …and they shall present great signs and wonders… [Seeing is believing; but not everything you see is the Truth; please understand that. Magicians know that very well—that the hand is quicker than the eye.] (Here's a warning to us; that's why it's going to impact on us, and I don't think we realize the impacting that has happened): …in order to deceive, if possible, even the elect."
Matthew 7—here's what Jesus said. Here's one of the ways we can know. And then we're going to look at some different things concerning false prophets. We're going to look at some different things on what kind of false prophets there are, and so forth.
Matthew 7:12—this leads into it: "Therefore, everything that you would have men do to you, so also do to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets."
- Do you want people to show you who the real God is? Yes!
- Do you want them to give you the true information of God? Yes!
- Do you want them to show you the proper day to worship on? Yes!
You surely don't want them to murder and kill and commit adultery and all those things; and lie and cheat and steal. Then notice what He says. He starts right out from there to going into 'beware of false prophets.'
Verse 13: "Enter in through the narrow gate… [difficult] …for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it; for narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life,and few are those who find it" (vs 13-14). So, if many are deceived in the name of Jesus Christ, then using the name of Jesus Christ is one of the tools they will use—correct? Yes! The ones who will truly find life will be few.
Verse 15: "But beware… [The whole New Testament is filled with warnings like these: be on your guard, watch out, be diligent!] …of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, for within they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. They do not gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles, do they? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a corrupt tree produces evil fruit. A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree thatis not producing good fruit is cut down and is cast into the fire" (vs 15-19). We're going to see that some chopping has been going on. We're going to see that they're getting 'stubble ready for the fire.'
Verse 21: "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…" These are the ones of the 'many' who are the 'false prophets in sheep's clothing' that came bringing the wrong way in the name of Christ. And they were doing many things—weren't they? They shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
"…but the one who is doing the will of My Father… [I want you to note the word doing. That comes from the Greek word we covered earlier—'poieo'—which means practicing to do; to execute; to perform; to follow.] ….Who is in heaven. Many… [many for the broad way; many false prophets; 'many coming in My name'] …will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name?…." (vs 21-22). Whoa! 'Look how many programs I have done. Look how many articles I have written. Look at how many books I have done. Look at all the people that followed me. Look at all the money I raised for You, Lord. Look at all the property we bought in Your name, Lord.'
"…And did we not cast out demons through Your name? And did we not perform many works of power through Your name?' And then I will confess to them, 'I never knew you…. [You might make note: go back and re-study all the Epistles of 1st, 2nd, 3rd John, because the whole key is to know Christ, to know God, to know what you're doing, to understand.] …Depart from Me, you who work [iniquity] lawlessness'" (vs 22-23)—'anomia'—which means against law. That's why commandment-keeping is so very important.
Deuteronomy 12:29: "When the LORD your God shall cut off the nations before you, where you go to possess them, and you take their place and dwell in their land, take heed … [another watch out. Sometime if you're real bored in Bible study, go look up all the words beware, take heed, watch out, look, behold—all of those, all have the meaning.] … to yourself that you do not become ensnared by following them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not ask about their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods that I may also do likewise?'…. [We know that includes all the pagan practices of Christmas and Easter—correct? Yes! You can go back and read The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop. I assume you've read it and you know it. If you don't, then go do it.] …You shall not do so…" (vs 29-31).
Is that not as strong as any other command of God? Yes! It's as strong as any other command of God!
- You shall NOT have any other God's before Me.
- You shall NOT make unto yourself any graven image of any likeness of anything that's in heaven above, the earth beneath or water under the earth.
- You shall NOT bow yourselves down to worship and serve them.
- For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers unto the children of the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me! And bless those unto a thousand generations that love Me and keep My commandments.
That's the full first and second commandment, brethren. This carries the same weight. This is an expansion of those two commandments.
Verse 31: "You shall not do so to the LORD your God, for every abomination to the LORD, which He hates.… [It's an active hating that God has toward those things.] … they have done to their gods… [then He mentions the worst]: …even their sons and their daughters they have burned in the fire to their gods." When you're done doing that then you eat them, because that is the sacrifice to the gods; if you don't then priests do. That's why the priests of Baal are called canni-bals—because they ate human flesh.
Verse 32: Whatsoever thing that I command you, be careful to do it. You shall not add to it, nor take away from it." What was the last warning of John? You shall not add to or take away from! Correct? Yes! Same warning here.
Now, then let's come to 2-Peter, the first chapter. What I want you to do, I want you to read this straight through. I was absolutely dumbfounded when I did this, brethren! I did not do this until I was preparing the study printout for everyone. I was going to put them side-by-side in columns, but then when I did it this way, I found out that they run in sequence, and Jude puts in things that Peter doesn't, and Peter puts in things that Jude doesn't—and it is astonishing! Let's read Jude first and I have 2-Peter coming right after that.
Jude 1: "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to the called saints… [that means the ones thathave been called—and you are saints] …sanctified… [who have been loved] …by God the Father and kept in Jesus Christ: Mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, when personally exerting all my diligence to write to you concerning the common salvation, I was compelled to write to you, exhorting you to fervently fight for the faith… [that's what we need to do] …which once for all time has been delivered to the saints. For certain men have stealthily crept in… [they snuck in; men came in deliberately, with malice and with forethought.] …these are the ones who a long time ago have been written about condemning them to this judgment. They are ungodly men, who are distorting the grace of our God into licentiousness, and are denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ" (vs 1-4). Those are pretty powerful words!
Notice what Peter writes, and how these two go right together, 2-Peter 2:1: "But there were also false prophets among the people, as indeed there will be false teachers among you, who will stealthily introduce destructive heresies… [Bringing in teachings from outside!] …personally denying the Lord Who bought them… [That means they were covered with the blood of Christ at one time] …and bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many people will follow as authoritative their destructive ways; and because of them, the way of the Truth will be blasphemed" (vs 1-2).
I heard a minister in Worldwide Church of God (the tape was sent to me) who said: 'This coming Feast of Unleavened Bread, now we don't have to keep these because it's not commanded. But we're going to do it as our tradition. If you want to eat unleavened bread, that's all right. If you want to eat leavened bread, that's all right. You're perfectly at liberty to do so.' Now, I want you to key on a couple of words: that's all right; that's okay—it goes right back to the New Age book I'm Okay, Your Okay, and is part of the one-world religious philosophy of bringing all religions together.
Several years ago I originally made the statement in jest, but I'm seeing that it is actually true. When I said that Job #2, which is: 'One day the sons of God came before the Lord and Satan was among them. And the Lord said to Satan, You see My servant Herbert Armstrong how he's repenting of all the evil that you are leading him to do. (and he was being led to do a great deal, brethren, but he did repent) And Satan says, 'Yeah, You turn the Church into my hands and in ten years I will make it a New Age Church.' Brethren, it has happened in a most profound, planned and determined way! I'll show you that in a little bit.
"…the way of the Truth, will be blasphemed" (v 2). 'Sabbath is not required. However, it is our tradition. And if you would like to keep the Sabbath, we're going to meet here on such-and-such a day. However, it's perfectly all right if you worship on Sunday. We have said in the past that Christmas was wrong. However it's perfectly all right if you keep Christmas"—and on and on! That's what they are doing.
Verse 3: "Also, through insatiable greed they will with enticing messages exploit you for gain… [with enticing messages] …for whom the judgment of old is in full force, and their destruction is ever-watching .
Let's begin to tie a little of this together to see exactly what has been happening. There are many different types of false prophets; and there are many different variations of true prophets or teachers (we'll get to that a little later on).
Deuteronomy 13:1: "If a prophet rises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder which he foretold to you comes to pass, saying, 'Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them'. [that's exactly what's being done today] …you shall not hearken to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you…" (vs 1-3)—and that's what's upon the House of God, right today!
Let's go to 1-Peter, the fourth chapter, for just a minute, so that we may understand what Peter was telling us what was happening in his day, that we may understand what is happening today; that we may not only see and understand the miserable corruption that has been going on, but we can understand why it has been happening and whence it has come from. This is during his day and this is a prophecy for our day, so that you understand what's happening in the Church of God today.
1-Peter 4:17: "For the time has comefor judgment to begin with the household of God… [and judgment is upon the Church of God today!] …and if it first begins with us, what will be the end of those who are not obeying the Gospel of God? And if the righteous are being saved with much difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" (vs 17-18).
So, there's a testing; there is a judging. Are you so convicted and converted in your way of God that you can tell Truth from error; that you can see what the difference is between cunningly devised fables. And isn't that what Peter just said before this? He said, 'Look, we haven't followed cunningly devised fables' of which hypostasis and the nature of God is a cunningly devised fable.
Deuteronomy 13:3: "…for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether… [how many times have I said this]: …you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." That's what it's about, brethren. If there's anyone who just wants to be a better person in the world, you're in the wrong place! Because the world is going to hate us! That's going to mount even more and more; and I will read you a declaration of war against the Church of God, right out of the mouths of one of the conspirators who helped take down Worldwide from the inside!
God wants you to know this! Love is a choice! Love is something you choose to do! And love is not conditional. 'Lord, I'll love You if You bless me.' That's a condition. Love is not conditional. 'Oh, Lord, I will love You if just do this for me, or do that for me. And if You don't do this, I won't love You.' That's a reciprocal of that. Your loving God has to be complete—absolutely nothing in between! That's why, brethren, the wrong structure of church organization—I won't call it church government because that is a misnomer—which cuts off that love between you and God has been so detrimental to the Church of God.
Verse 4: "You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice… [How many times have we come across that phrase? Obey His voice!] …and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has spoken to turn you against the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slaves, to thrust you out of the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put the evil away from the midst of you. If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is like your own soul, lures you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods'—which you have not known, you nor your fathers, that is, of the gods of the people who are around you, near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth—" (vs 4-7).
That's pretty all inclusive—isn't it? I would say so! And this is exactly the same One Who became Jesus Christ Who said: 'I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.' We need to really grasp that.
Verse 8: "You shall not consent to him nor hearken to him. Nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare, nor shall you conceal him." In other words, you are to expose him. Is that not correct?
Now, let's see there's another kind of false prophet. This is a false prophet who causes something to happen. There's also another false prophet that speaks in the name of God and says something and it doesn't happen. So, it's all in the message, not just in the work or the sign or the wonder.
Deuteronomy 18:20: "But the prophet who shall presume to speak a word in My name which I have not commanded him to speak or who shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die." I want you to remember 1-Pet. 4:17: 'judgment is now on the House of God.' And I want you to remember that in September {1995} we had two key events happen:
- Joseph W. Tkach suddenly died
- Destruction of one of the other Churches of God because of corruption
God is telling the Church that He means business. If you're playing religion go somewhere else. That's what God is saying. I'm not saying people leave the fellowship, but I'm just telling you God's message—because you're not going to fool God!
Verse 21: "And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not follow nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him" (vs 21-22). So here's one the thing doesn't follow. You have the two kinds:
- sign or wonder—happens; says, 'let's go after other gods
- the Lord says this—and it doesn't happen; then you've got the other side of the coin
What we're going to do with this, we're going to see that the Word of God is over everyone: true prophets, false prophets, sinner, righteous, everyone! Is not the Word of God over everyone? Are we not going to be judged by the Word of God? Yes! 'Those who know to do good and do not will be beaten with many stripes. Those who know not to do good, and don't, shall be beaten with few.' But the judgment is still the same one way or the other—correct? Yes!
Jeremiah 14:13: "Then I said, 'Ah, O Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets are saying to them, "You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine; but I will give you true peace in this place."'" Brethren, apply that to the world today, as well as then. Jeremiah was the only one saying, 'Look, the Babylonians are going to come and they're going to take you away. And if you fight them you're going to die. But if you go, God will spare you in captivity.' And they're saying, 'No! It's not going to happen!'
Verse 14: "And the LORD said to me, 'The prophets prophesy lies in My name… [That's something!] …I did not send them, nor have I commanded them, nor did I speak to them. They prophesy to you a false vision and a worthless divination… [They have spirit help—demons] …and a thing of no value, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore, the LORD says this concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, and I did not send them, yet they say, "Sword and famine shall not be in this land—By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed"'" (vs 13-15).
God's judgment is coming! Why are false prophets so successful? Yes, they want to hear it; they want to be deceived! Don't you? Yes! Flattery will get you everywhere!
Jeremiah 17:9—Here's why! Here's why these things can be done. Here's an old, old verse, but it's still new, new, new! because it's happening today: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings" (vs 9-10). That's why they're so successful!
Jeremiah 23:21—a key, important verse to see that the Word of God is greater than the false prophets—and that God will honor His Word. "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel and had caused My people to hear My words… [The Word of Truth is greater than anything—correct? Even greater than the false prophets? Yes!] …then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings" (vs 21-22). That's something—isn't it?
Verse 31: "'Behold, I am against the prophets who use their tongues and say, "He says," when I did not say. Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams and tell them, and cause My people to go astray by their lies and by their wantonness. Yet I did not send them nor command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,' says the LORD. (vs 31-32).
Now let's go to the New Testament. We're going to categorize all of these false prophets here in a little bit. Let's go to 1-John, the second chapter. Here's one kind within that is leaving. But this is a also a prophecy for our day. Please understand that when you read some of these things in James; 1st, 2nd, Peter; 1st, 2nd, 3rd John and Jude they're prophecies for our day.
1-John 2:18: "Little children, it is the last time; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have risen up, by which we know that it is the last time." They are coming! And, brethren, it is going to be something to be hold!
1-John 3:4: "Everyone who practices sin is also practicing lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. And you know that He appeared in order that He might take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Everyone who dwells in Him does not practice sin; anyone who practices sin has not seen Him, nor has known Him. Little children, do not allow anyone to deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil because the devil has beensinning from the beginning…." (vs 4-8). That makes it very clear.
Let's see what they were doing, Ephesians 4:14 (KJV): "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive."
Faithful Version: "So that we no longer be children, tossed and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men in cunning craftiness, with a view to the systematizing of the error… [they have 'systematized' the error] …But holding the Truth in love…" (vs 14-15).
At the time of the end, we're going to have all of these combined together. We're going to have things that are going to be so awesome that are going to take place.
Ephesians 5:6: "Do not let anyone deceive you with vain words… [There are a lot of vain words going out now.] …for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be joint partakers with them" (vs 6-7). That's the message for the Church today.
It's going to be powerful. This is going to be profound! It is going to be awesome! Brethren, even our wildest imaginations concerning 2-Thessalonians, the second chapter, have not even begun to slightly fulfill what it's going to be. It is going to be so spectacular that the world is just going to be absolutely just enthralled with it beyond anything! I'll just summarize a few things here:
2-Thessalonians 2:2: "That you not be quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled—neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by epistle, as if from us, saying that the day of Christ is present." We're going to be confronted by spirits, with word—that is messages—by letter or that is by writing.
Verse 3: "Do not let anyone deceive you by any means… [that is by any means—and they're always looking for new means] …because that day will not come unless the apostasy shall come first…" That is the great apostasy—and it's happened within the Church and it's happening within the world, because all roads lead to Rome—and we're going to see Worldwide Church of God is beginning to march on the road to Rome, believe it or not!
"…and the man of sin shall be revealed—the son of perdition… [he's going to exalt himself above all] …the one who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is an object of worship; so that he comes into the temple of God and sits down as God, proclaiming that he himself is God" (vs 3-4).
Why is all this going to happen with 'signs and wonders and deceivableness of all unrighteousness'? They didn't love the Truth!—the Truth of God!
I'll jut call your attention to Rev. 13, that there is going to come this false prophet beast that's going to call fire down from heaven. There are going to be so many things that are unreal, that are going to happen. One little teeny thing I want you to watch, because this is the only stumbling block in the formation of a world army under the auspices of the United Nations. There is a man, a soldier, in the U.S. Army who refusing to wear the blue hat of the U.N. saying he pledged allegiance to the United States. He's going to Court Martial right now. And if he's court-martialed, know the world army is just around the corner. When they go in the U.N. army they pledge allegiance to the United Nations—did you know that? A lot of things are taking place—a lot of things! It's almost too much to keep up with it.
1-John 4:1: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world…. [just multiply that many times, by every fax, by every computer, by every printing press] …By this test you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God" (vs 1-2).
(go to the next track)
Again, I call your attention to the series we did on 1st, 2nd, & 3rd John. If you don't have that, please write for it—it is most important for you to have that and understand it.
1-John 4:3: "And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. And this is the spirit of antichrist, which you heard was to come, and even now it is already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is He Who is in you than the one who is in the world. They are of the world; because of this, they speak of the world… [very, very profound] …and the world listens to them.… [the world hears them] …We are of God; the one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not of God does not listen to us. By this means we know the Spirit of the Truth and the spirit of the deception" (vs 3-6). Never before has that ever been more true, that we need to know right now the Spirit of the Truth or the spirit of the error or deception!
Let's go to Luke 6:26—very important! This ties right in with it: "Woe to you when all men shall speak well of you! For their fathers did these same things to the false prophets." Think on that! If this were a Psalm, I would say, 'Selah!'—let it sink deep into your ears!
2-John 6: "And this is the love of God: that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, exactly as you heard from the beginning, that you might walk in it because many deceivers have entered into the world—those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is the spirit of the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out for yourselves in order that we may not lose the things we have accomplished, but that we may receive a full reward. Anyone who transgresses and does not continue in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. But the one who continues in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son" (vs 6-9).
And, just a little interjection here: If he were talking about the Holy Spirit, he would have put it there—correct? Yes! He didn't. He never did talk about it that way.
Verse 10: "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, and do not say to him, 'Welcome!' For anyone who says, 'Welcome!' to him is partaking in his evil works" (vs 10-11). There are other places which show that we have to shout these things from the housetop; so now has come the time to do just a little bit of that.
GTA is At It Again (Ambassador Report, pg. 4, June 1995) [note: G. T. Armstrong died 9-15-2003]—the news of this did not come out until September (so now we have it). There are just a couple of corrections to this article. I won't read it, the general facts are there, except it did not take place in Oklahoma; it took place in Tyler, Texas.
Now, I also want to state here, very uncategorically, that when Garner Ted Armstrong was put out [of the WCG] in 1972, he confessed to having 200 women while an evangelist in the Worldwide Church of God. I personally know three of the girls that he seduced, and each time he blamed the girls for seducing him. Down through the years he has lamented the fact that we are not under the Old Covenant where you could have wives and concubines. I also know from first-person testimony that Garner Ted Armstrong has had this problem since he was a teenager, and in Eugene, Oregon, his friend and he 'laid every skirt they could get their hands on.' Garner Ted Armstrong, it was written by his brother-in-law David Antion that he should never be in the ministry again! That was in 1973. He was subsequently reinstated; subsequently had the problems again; subsequently was kicked out of the Church and disfellowshipped in 1978.
He told brethren in Church of God International that they were misled and all of these things that were said—and he looked them directly in the eye and said: 'I never did any of those things that I was accused of.' Direct, bald-faced lie! Everyone has given him the benefit of doubt, including myself, in hopes that he would repent.
This latest episode: Garner Ted Armstrong and the Masseuse (I won't read it, it will take too much time) with a notation that this masseuse was not a masseuse for a whorehouse, but ran a legitimate business and was a registered nurse. This report is a direct, first-person reporting after talking seven hours to the husband and the wife and so forth. They offered to settle money rather than have an expose`; and the final thing that I have heard that they settled in the middle six-figures for it. Good use of tithe money!
The Resignation of Ronald L. Dart: Ronald L. Dart knew every one of these things in 1972 and 1978. He knew the subsequent things that transpired after the establishing of the Church of God International. These things continued; Ted continued in the same behavioral situation that he always has done; flaunting the Word of God; thinking he was above the law.
And I have a tape here which anyone can get that he gave a sermon on 10-7-95, two days before the Feast of Tabernacles, which the ending of it is the most satanic justification of sin I have ever heard. So, what I'm saying, I am not saying lightly and I'm not saying frivolously. I am saying that Garner Ted Armstrong has been turned over to Satan the devil for the destruction of the flesh and we hope and pray that he will truly repent. I would not have brought this out if he would have repented publicly and acknowledged the facts as they are. But he has not, so it must be said.
Letter from Garner Ted Armstrong himself, it says nothing of the problem. Ron Dart does not say anything of the problem, and he is culpable and an accomplice with Garner Ted Armstrong in those problems through the years. Another letter to the ministers of CGI; there is the spirit that they do not care about the truth, they're only concerned about keeping members and money and putting a lid on this in hopes that if it's properly handled there will not be too much trouble in the very near future.
From CRI—Christian Research Institute International (October 6, 1995). Let me give you a little background concerning this. How many remember a Dr. Walter Martin who wrote the book Kingdom of the Cults? He was the one who originally founded the Christian Research Institute International. He has died and he's succeeded by Hank Hanegraaff. I have a whole lot more to say about Hank Hanegraaff in the very near future.
Gathered together for a funeral: All of us were gathered to say goodbye to a man who's life exemplified these words; a man who risked losing his reputation, his livelihood, his career and world respect in his all out devotion to finding and proclaiming the Truth. As I sat there, I couldn't help but think back on the funeral of another man that exemplified that character and courage; a man who had been a champion of orthodoxy in the midst of proliferating cults and false doctrines.
And then he says that man was Dr. Walter Martin, founder of the Christian Research Inst. and the father of the modern-day counter-cult revolution. The other was Joseph Tkach, Sr., head of the Worldwide Church of God. Now, you will see in the coming Worldwide News a picture of Hanegraaff and [Tkach] Jr. hugging each other. There's a reason they were—they were conspirators together.
The man who led a multimillion-dollar worldwide, Sabbatarian religious movement from a status of a cult to a firm standing in the Church of Jesus Christ…. I pondered how CRIs commitment to essential Christian doctrine, rather than denominational divisiveness had earned the confidence and respect of the leaders within the Worldwide Church of God, and how through my meeting with these church leaders they came to understand.
So there were meetings. Were you ever told of those? Were you ever told that they were meeting with other people. They also had a prophetess there. Her name was Dr. Ruth Tucker. Probably more likely known in the Scriptures as Jezebel!
The goal was not to denounce darkness, but to build a lighthouse in the midst of the gathering storm—not to gore, but to guide; not to retaliate, but to reason. You see, these leaders had inherited a legacy from their founder Herbert W. Armstrong, and that made them proud to distinguish and distance themselves from the historic Christian faith. Yet, as they listened to the Bible Answer Man [Hank Hanegraaff] and read the Christian Research Journal, they realized that our goal was redemption, not ridicule; to reach, not repel. They met privately with me, behind closed doors, and discovered that CRI did not have a personal agenda, but a biblical agenda. And they came to trust CRI, not because of human eloquence or persuasiveness, but because we have found common ground around the Truth of God's Word.
Carl Franklin is working on a picture of Hank Hanegraaff where he's got a prominent, gold ring displayed on his hand. And in that he has been able to discern already, without it being blown up, symbols of the occult! So what has happened, brethren, is this: all of these organizations which were started out to be truly against cults have now been taken over by occult to come after us!—with determination and forethought. And there's a declaration of war right in this. You wait!
Then the old plug for money! Send us more money! This is going to be really something! Here's what they want to do to help the leadership of the Worldwide Church of God to fulfill their vision of evangelism and it has already happened! Those words are so incredible, so mind-boggling that someone familiar with the Worldwide Church of God might think that I had absolutely taken leave of my senses.
More than merely witnessing this dramatic transformation, however, you and I have had a part in bringing it to pass. Yet, much like the collapse of the Berlin wall, while we should rejoice, we must understand that our work is far from over. In fact, I will be so bold as to say that what you and I are witnessing in the Worldwide Church of God is only a faint foreshadowing of what God is going to do in the days ahead in all cults around the world.
There is the declaration of war against the Church of God. Now you know why God is scattering the Church—to protect us! Now, if that's not hair-raising enough:
Worldwide Church of God; Worldwide News by David A. Sheradon—Calgary, Alberta: Almost one-thousand listeners of Hank Hanegraaff's Bible Answer Man radio program attended a meeting at the First Alliance Church here Oct. 27. Mr. Hanegraaff is the president of the Christian Research Institute.
And I also have information that he's connected with the Masons; he's connected with the occult; he's connected with the evangelicals—on the way to Rome.
The evening began with a video excerpt of Peter Jenning's ABC documentary on evangelism in America, entitled In the Name of God. Then Mr. Hanegraaff gave a 45-minute lecture on the counterfeit revival. Questions then were taken from the floor, the first from someone who felt that his church was going through a revival and this led to a question: What is a revival? In his response, Mr. Hanegraaff launched into his now familiar accolades for changes made in the Worldwide Church of God…. [Accolade is speaking well of you.] …The recent changes in the WCG are without historic precedent and were made at great cost.
No, they are with historic precedent; it happened after the death of the Apostle John; and were indeed also made with great cost.
I have met their leaders. I like them. We should encourage the WCG as they come closer to the pale of Christian orthodoxy. Mr. Hanegraaff added that WCG is a church with guts, prepared to let the Word of God, rather than their tradition, be the final cord of arbitration.
Yet, what do they say concerning the Sabbath? It is our tradition. What do they say concerning Passover? It is our tradition! What do they say concerning Unleavened Bread? It is our tradition! You see the lies that have been coming down? They have been planned. All of this doubletalk and slick back and forth has been planned and been programmed to take down the Worldwide Church of God.
He mentioned that in the next issue of the CRI Journal will include an article by Pastor General Joseph Tkach. At one point, with no prompting, the audience broke into spontaneous applause for our church. Little did they realize that several Worldwide Church of God members and I were in the audience. After the lecture, Mr. Hanegraaff was surrounded by an enthusiastic group who asked him questions for an hour. And then the member commented he was "warm and pleasant." I sensed his admiration for the WCG and found his comments encouraging.
There is now being planned, brethren, a uniting of the CRI and the Worldwide Church of God assets. They're investigating Worldwide Church of God, and I said for years, the corporation sole is at the top of it with a designated inheritor. All of the other corporations below it are just merely fronts. There have been exchanges of money and transfer of money and perhaps maybe even money-laundering done by those who helped set those up. And 'those who have ears to hear, let him hear!'
Another member commented: 'I felt moved to thank Mr. Hanegraaff afterward for graciously praising our church.' He then said that our church is in the very capable hands of Mr. Tkach. He just couldn't praise Mr. Tkach enough!
Woe! When the world speaks well of you, so the day of all the false prophets!"
October 3rd, Worldwide News, pg. 8—included a photograph of him embracing Mr. Tkach at the funeral. The caption read: kindling friendship. He took the paper with him. This was the first I have been to an outside church in a long time.
So now he's getting all sucked into it! Isn't that something!
Now then, let's come to 2-Peter 2:13: "They are bringing upon themselves the reward of unrighteousness, while finding pleasure in satisfying their lustful desires in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their own deceptions, while feasting together with you; having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, they are engaged in seducing unstable souls; having a heart trained in lustful craving—cursed children" (vs 13-14). Just read it to you, full of adultery, cannot cease from sin. They promised them liberty.
Brethren, who would have thought it would have been that bad. I just want to reiterate another comment that I have made earlier, which is this: When you start compromising with the devil, he won't let you go until he's got you all the way! Not just a little change here or a little change there. What I'm going to read you right now is the official repentance of the Worldwide Church of God to Satan the devil. That may sound a little harsh, but that's precisely what it is:
Worldwide Church of God, Worldwide News, "Ease Pain and Hurt with Understanding and Forgiveness": God has shown such love and mercy to forgive our sins, to forgive us for our wrong teachings as a church. How eternally grateful we all will be to our Lord and Savior Who did not leave us in our errors. The church has changed it's position on numerous long-held beliefs and practices during the past through years. At the heart of these changes has been an acceptance that salvation has been by grace through faith.
A lie! At the heart of these changes have been secret meetings with Hanegraaff and Ruth Tucker and others.
For decades we regarded the law of Moses as the basis of our righteousness. We attempted to relate to God through Old Covenant rules and regulations. In His mercy, God has shown us that Old Covenant obligations do not apply to Christians who are under the New Covenant.
You see what happened when the slight of hand took place?
He has led us into the riches of His grace and a renewed relationship with Jesus Christ. He has opened our hearts and minds to the joy of his salvation. The Scriptures speak to us with fresh meaning, and we rejoice daily in the personal relationship we have with our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, at the same time we are acutely aware of the heavy legacy of our past and the pain that many of our former beliefs has caused us. The Holy Spirit is working today in the body of Christ to heal historic wounds, restore good relations between offenders and offended. This is true not just in our own fellowship, but in many others as well. Plain Truth writer Keith Stump has written an article Healing the Wounds for the April/May Plain Truth about this.
He writes: As Christianity prepares to enter its third millennium, an important phenomena is sweeping the Christian world.
It is! All roads lead to Rome!
It is a wave of confession and repentance for our past sins and offences. Many Christian groups have recognized a need to repent of those times in history when they or their forefathers deviated from the spirit of the gospel, injured others, brought shame upon the name of Christ. This mass expression of regret and contrition is unprecedented. Many Christians attribute this wave of repentance to a powerful working of the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ worldwide.
When they say Christian, body of Christ worldwide, they mean all churches including Catholic. Absolutely!
They characterize it as a surging tide of God's grace designed to wash Christianity clean of its historic sins and achieve long overdue reconciliation, the restoration of harmony and good relations with injured individuals and groups.
We repent and apologize!…. [and I will add: Oh, Satan, god of this world!] …It is my painful responsibility to acknowledge that the Worldwide Church of God has been among the offenders. Our flawed doctrinal understanding clouded the plain Gospel of Jesus Christ and led to a variety of wrong conclusions and unscriptural practices. We have much to repent of and apologize for. We were judgmental and self-righteous, condemning other Christians, calling them 'so-called' Christians...
Well, Jesus did! Paul talked of false brethren.
…labeling them 'deceived' or 'instruments of Satan.' We held to a works oriented approach in Christian living. We exercised a strong legalistic approach to church government.
That could have been solved without throwing yourself into Satan's lot.
Our former approach based on the Old Covenant fostered attitudes of exclusivism and superiority, rather than the New Covenant teaching of brotherhood and unity.
But Jesus said the way was 'straight and narrow and few would find it.' Is that not exclusive? Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.' Is that not exclusive?
These teachings and practices are a source of supreme regret. We've been wrong! There was never an intent to mislead anyone. We were so focused on what we believed we were doing for God that we didn't recognize the spiritual path we were on. Intended or not, that path was not the Biblical one. As we look back, we ask ourselves: How could we have been so wrong? Our hearts go out to all whom our teachings have misled in the Scriptures. We don't minimize their spiritual disorientation and confusion. We certainly desire their understanding and forgiveness.
You're only heaping 'coals of fire' upon your head, because God is not going to forgive this!
We recognize that the depths of alienation can make reconciliation difficult. On the human level, reconciliation is often a long and difficult process over a period of time. Yet, we pray daily for it, realizing that the healing ministry of Jesus Christ can close even the deepest wounds. We make no attempt to cover up the doctrinal and spiritual errors of the past. It is not our intention to merely paper over the cracks. We are looking our history squarely in the eye and confronting the errors we find there. They will always remain a part of our history, serving as a perpetual reminder of the dangers of legalism.
Whoever thought you would hear that coming from Worldwide Church of God! This has been premeditated; this has been planned. I also made another comment when someone asked me: How do you think Jr. will do now that Sr. has died. And I said, well, it's kind of like when Rehoboam confronted the children of Israel and told them, after they said, 'Please give us relief'—he said, 'If you think the thigh of my father has been heavy, wait until my little finger lands on you.' I just paraphrased it—the little finger is landing!
Now then, in the midst of all of this—now you see why my head is just spinning and reeling—did you know that Pat Robertson, [Charles] Colson, Billy Graham, all of the leading evangelicals on television are all a part of returning to Rome? Did you know that? They are! Here's a book entitled, All Roads Lead to Rome?. It's dedicated to the nearly 100-billion Roman Catholics, misinformed by their hierarchy; and to the 400-million Protestants equally ignorant of the facts; and to the genuine martyrs on both sides, this book is dedicated. I want you to listen—remember what we just read in here about the third millennium of Christianity. All right, listen to this:
The most significant event in nearly 500-years of Church history was revealed as a fait accompli… [that means almost finished.] …March 29, 1994, on that day leading American evangelicals and Catholics signed a joint declaration—evangelicals and Catholics together…. [the Christian mission in the third millennium] …The document in effect overturns the reformation and will unquestionably have far-reaching repercussions throughout the Christian world to come.
Then it talks about the evangelicals: Pat Robertson, Charles Colson, John White, the president of Geneva College and former president of the National Association of Evangelicals said this 'statement represents a triumphant moment.' That's why this Christian coalition thing is going to go so good; because you have the evangelicals, the fundamentalists and the Catholics together. You didn't know that—did you?
Now, active participation in the Catholic Church makes one a Christian. If that is indeed the case, then the reformation is a tragic mistake. The millions martyred all died in vain. If however, the reformers were right, then this new agreement between the Catholics and evangelicals could well be the cleverest, deadliest blow struck against the Gospel in the entire history of the Church.
Now here's what one leading evangelical declared:
Our closest friends as evangelicals in this cultural task and in the fundamental, theological task are Roman Catholics.
Brethren, all I want to do is just ask you to think! What will happen if they have a miracle-working pope who says abortions are okay and married clergy are okay? We were just discussing the father/son thing—Billy Graham just appointed his son to succeed him. The son of Herbert Armstrong—Garner Ted Armstrong—personally has taken the Church into the whorehouse. The son of Tkach Sr. [Tkach Jr.] is personally taking the Church into the world's spiritual whorehouse.
The document explains that both Catholics and evangelicals endorse the Apostles Creed, which starts out: We believe in the holy Catholic Church. That creed, however, like the Nicene Creed and other creeds does not express the gospel that saves, that Christ died for our sins. Mormons affirm the apostles creed, yet, they aren't Biblical Christians, nor does embracing the creed make Catholics or Protestants Christians.
Furthermore, what Catholics mean by Christ dying for our sins is an entirely different thing from what the evangelical understanding of this truth is, as we shall see in later pages. It is important to note that the concern at the bishop's conference was not the truth of the gospel or the salvation of souls, but maintaining the influence of the Vatican and keeping people in the Catholic Church.
While evangelicals signed a truce, Rome is stepping up its evangelization of Protestants into the Catholic Church. Rome's evangelization 2000 has six evangelizing training conferences scheduled—just for 1994—across America. Evangelism for evangelicals means leading people to Christ. For Catholics however, it means bringing people into the Roman Catholic Church. "Our job," as father Tom Forest, to a group of Catholic charismatics said, "is to make people as richly and fully Christian as we can make them by bringing them into the Catholic Church. We have the visible sacrament of salvation. We have to be evangelizing into the church. No, you can't just invite someone to become Christian. You invite them to become Catholic. First of all there are seven sacraments and the Catholic Church has them all!
- On our altars we have the body of Christ… [a blasphemous thing if there ever was]
- we drink the blood of Jesus;
- Jesus is alive on our altars as offering;
- we become one with Christ in the Eucharist; as Catholics we have Mary, queen of paradise, praying for all of us till she sees us in glory;
- as Catholics we also have the papacy, the history of popes from Peter to John Paul II;
- we have the rock upon which Christ did build His church; as Catholics…
- [now, I love this one] …we have purgatory. Thank God. I am one of those people who would never get to the beatific vision without it. It's the only way to go.
So as Catholics our job is to use this remaining decade evangelizing everyone we can into the Catholic Church, into the body of Christ and into the third millennium of Catholic history.
Brethren, WAR has been declared against the Truth. And it's come right into the Worldwide Church of God. And war has been declared against all the others who do not believe in the trinity, who will accept Christ and the Truth and the Word of God. These are some things! I am totally astonished! But you see, it can happen! The Truth can be subverted! And we're seeing it before our very eyes; and what a shame, brethren, what a shame!
If and when you hear this sermon by Garner Ted Armstrong—especially the backside of it—and you know what is in here, in this report, there is not one iota of repentance at all. So, I don't really know how to end this sermon except to say, we've got some tough times ahead of us—very, tough times ahead of us! And it's going to be the Truth of God that we have to really stick by. That's why I see it's very important, at least what we're doing in our part:
- to get our noses in the Bible, to know the Bible
- to understand the Word of God
- to really have that relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father
- to know what you believe and why you believe it
- and know why it is the Truth
—not just accept as a profession. But we are down to the thing where now where I'm beginning to understand how the world is going to hate us. I've got some other things, too. That's not to say anything about the Masonry involvement in this thing of taking down the Worldwide Church of God. That's not to say anything about some of the other facts of Hanegraaff, part of which is his daughter is a full-fledged witch! We are dealing with some pretty tough stuff!
Let's finish here: 1-Timothy 4:1: "Now, the Spirit tells us explicitly that in the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith, and shall follow deceiving [seducing] spirits and doctrines of demons; speaking lies in hypocrisy, their consciences having been cauterized with a hot iron" (vs 1-2).
Let's finish with this in 2-Peter 2:1: "But there were also false prophets among the people, as indeed there will be false teachers among you, who will stealthily introduce destructive heresies, personally denying the Lord Who bought them… [whether it's action of adultery and fornication physically or adultery and fornication spiritually] …and bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many people will follow as authoritative their destructive ways; and because of them, the way of the Truth will be blasphemed" (vs 1-2).
When you repent to Satan you have blasphemed!
All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, AFaithful Version by Fred R. Coulter (except where noted)
- Exception: 1& 2-Peter, from The Seven General Epistles by Fred R. Coulter—author's translation
Scriptural References:
- 2 Timothy 3:13
- Revelation 17:5
- Matthew 24:5, 24
- Matthew 7:12-19, 21-23
- Deuteronomy 12:29-32
- Jude 1-4
- 2 Peter 2:1-3
- Deuteronomy 13:1-3
- 1 Peter 4:17-18
- Deuteronomy 13:3-8
- Deuteronomy 18:20-22
- Jeremiah 14:13-15
- Jeremiah 17:9-10
- Jeremiah 23:21-22, 31-32
- 1 John 2:18
- 1 John 3:4
- Ephesians 4:14-15
- Ephesians 5:6-7
- 2 Thessalonians 2:2-4
- 1 John 4:1-6
- Luke 6:26
- 2 John 6-11
- 2 Peter 2:13-14
- 1 Timothy 4:1-2
- 2 Peter 2:1-2
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Revelation 12:9
- Matthew 24:4
- 1, 2, 3 John
- 1-Peter 4:17
- Revelation 13
Also referenced: Books:
- All Roads Lead to Rome? by Michael DeSemlyen
- The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop
- I'm Okay, You're Okay by Thomas Harris
- Kingdom of the Cults by Dr. Walter Martin
Sermon Series: 1st, 2nd, 3rd John
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8-12-09
Corrected: 3/12
