Now the Holy Spirit was not yet available. So Adam started a world, because he had children. He had Cain and Abel, and he had Seth. The Bible says he had others, sons and daughters; but it doesn’t name them. Others came, and they had sons and daughters; and it came to the time when population was increasing at the time of the Flood. They were having a population explosion. God caused them all to be drowned because they were GOING THE WRONG WAY, except Noah and his family—eight people. ALL OF THE WORLD (except for those eight people) they were cut off without the

Spirit of God, without the direction of the Spirit of God, without the Spirit which would open their minds to understand the teaching of God.

Now there was the kingdom of Israel raised up from slaves. God REVEALED His law to them. God REVEALED His truth to them. But they didn’t understand it. They didn’t have the Holy Spirit. So they were taught it, but it can only be understood through the Spirit to open up your mind to understand it. A cow can’t understand what a man can, because it doesn’t have the spirit of man. It’s the spirit of man that makes your mind understand materialistic knowledge. I hope you can understand that.

But Adam’s children, now, gradually got into a civilization. As they were then, there were many people. They began to realize they had to get some kind of organization. So they had men set up this, and that, and the other; but they didn’t have right knowledge of how to get along with one another. The man at the head was always self-centered, and he tried to use those under him for his own good and his own benefit—where God uses those under Him for the benefit of the ones under it. God is a Giver, not a getter. But those that are heads over other people in this world try to get from them

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How many times have you heard non-Christians, judging one who professes Christ, say in disgust, “Well, if that’s Christianity, I don’t want any of it!”

How many judge God by the way professing Christians live?
How many assume that one must live a perfect life before he can become a Christian”?

How many say, “If I could give up smoking, I’d become a Christian”?

How many think a Christian is supposed to be perfect, never doing anything wrong? Suppose you do see or hear about a Christian doing something wrong. Does that mean he is a hypocrite — that he is not really a Christian, after all?

Is it possible for one to actually sin, while he is a Christian, and still remain a truly converted Christian? I suppose nearly everyone would reply in the negative. But here is a vital point you need to understand!
It’s hard to believe — but true! Few know just what is a Christian. Few know how one is converted — whether suddenly, all at once, or gradually. Does conversion happen immediately, or is it a process? It’s HIGH TIME WE UNDERSTAND!

The truth is that there is a sense in which true conversion does take place at a definite time — all at once. But it is also true that in another sense conversion is worked out gradually — a process of development and growth.

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OFTEN we hear the basic Law of God impugned as negative, and therefore not good. God is often conceived as a stern, wrathful God, who angrily says to us: “THOU SHALT NOT!”

God’s truth is sometimes looked upon as “a religion of FEAR,” and therefore not desirable for modern, advanced, enlightened man. It ought to be POSITIVE, they say, not negative.

Thus God, the Truth of God, the purpose and plan of God, the method of God, and the Law of God are relegated to the primitive, the imperfect – something enlightened man has now outgrown. Modern man thereupon looks upon himself as elevated to a plane of rational thinking, and knowledge higher than God, or Christianity, or God’s Law. Of course when we UNDERSTAND, God’s TRUTH is the most powerful religion or philosophy there is – it eradicates fear!

It is the way of FAITH!

But is the negative form, “Thou shalt not,” then, wrong? Is it outmoded? Should a PERFECT law contain only “DO’s” and “DON’Ts”? Just what is TRUE CHARACTER? Just what is the perfect life?

I have defined character – that is, true, righteous, holy character – as

    1) coming to the KNOWLEDGE of the true, as opposed to the false values – the right, in stead of the wrong way;

    2) making, of one’s own free will and volition, the choice to do the right instead of the wrong;

    3) the exercise of the will in actually doing the right instead of the wrong.

Character, then once the true knowledge is acquired and the right decision made, involves SELF-DISCIPLINE. The truly educated person is a self-disciplined person.

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Look at the pitiful spectacle — hundreds of different sects and denominations, all confused and mixed up, each with its own different ideas, beliefs and practices — all disagreeing as to what the Bible says — none understanding its full, true message!

WHY? Because none of them possesses the keys needed to open the doors to understanding, and therefore this spiritual treasure house is closed to them.
Locked up until now!

Even the prophets inspired in writing the Word of God did not understand much of what they wrote. Daniel records in his last chapter, “I heard this, but I did not understand it” (Moffatt). When he asked the meaning of what he was inspired to write, he was told, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” — or, as Moffatt translates it, “till the crisis at the close “(Daniel 12:8-9).

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Would You Accuse Jesus Christ?

Several, probably not realizing it, have been accusing Jesus Christ, the
living HEAD of God’s Church. Be sure YOU don’t!

By Herbert W. Armstrong

I was reminiscing with two of our executives on the high estimate I placed on myself in earlier life – in my twenties. “I was a very important individual in my own eyes then,” I mused. “You have no idea how far I’ve skidded backward since then”.

They laughed. “Well,” exclaimed one, “I wish you’d give us the formula of how to go backward like that!”

Reflecting on this bit of banter later, I decided seriously it would be profitable to write that formula for all our readers. For it is the formula for the only kind of success that is real and satisfying and lasting.

For as long as I was important in my own eyes, I was actually of no more importance than a paper bag filled with air. True, I was ambitious. I worked hard, studied hard, drove myself on relentlessly to achieve what I then viewed as SUCCESS. But actually, as I know now, it was a striving after wind – pure vanity – a swelled-up self-exaltation that was like a toy balloon that will burst when pricked with a pin.

The skidding backward began with the flash depression of 1920, which sent numerous big corporations, among which were my main customers, to the wall. It was a national flash catastrophe over which I had no control. It left me, by 1922, a deflated, near-frustrated young man of 30. But not for long. I said: “I’ll bound back. You can’t keep a good man down.” Self-confidence returned. I began developing another business.

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Church of God Faithful Flock

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

Two Sabbaths ago, in a sermonette before the Pasadena Headquarters P.M. congregation, Mr. Dwight Viehe, a local elder, referred to my letter to you dated June 25. He elaborated on my letter. What he said is important and timely at this critical time. I want to share it with all of you, and I repeat it here as transcribed from a taped recording of his sermonette:

I brought with me this afternoon a recent member and co-worker letter from Mr. Armstrong. I’m sure most of you will recall this one. You should. He began by telling us how we are helping fulfill Bible prophecy. It goes on to explain how there is indeed a purpose being worked out here below, and that the events working out that purpose of God are recorded in the history of the past, and the prophecy of the present and the future in the Bible.

A few paragraphs below that he mentions how, right now, it seems that God has been holding events in the world back.

Mr. Armstrong says: “We had expected the Great Tribulation to come before now. Why the delay? Surely it seems God has held the winds of terrorism and the Great Tribulation back to allow time” for the preaching of the Gospel message as a witness unto all nations “in a more complete way.” And then Mr. Armstrong concludes the paragraph: “Perhaps we ourselves have been holding the march of events up.”

Mr. Armstrong has mentioned that before. I’ve heard him mention it several times. And each time I pondered that thought, but then something else would get on my mind and I would soon forget it. But this time I decided to think a little more deeply, because it’s an incredible, awesome thought that it is possible for God’s chosen people, his called-out ones, spiritual Israel, to actually alter the divine agenda of the Almighty God. Let us look at an example. In Acts 13 Paul is giving what has been said to be his first sermon. Beginning in verse 14: “… when they [he and Barnabasl departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation [or earnest urgings] for the people, say on.”

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Church of God Faithful Flock

Which FAMILY must the Christian put first the natural human family or the GOD Family into which he is begotten?

When One is Disfellowshipped, Which Family Comes First?

Which FAMILY must the Christian put first the natural human family or the GOD Family into which he is begotten?

IF YOU ARE really a Christian, you are a begotten child of God – begotten into the GOD FAMILY.

God says, through the apostle John, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be …” (I John 3:2).

We, if Christians, are NOW in this present physical life already begotten sons of God. What we shall, be when Christ appears – at His soon Second Coming – cannot now be SEEN – does not  yet APPEAR. But, “we shall be like Him” (same verse). How does He appear? IF our mortal physical eyes could see Him, we would see His eyes as flames of fire and His countenance as the sun – full strength.

Verse 1 says, “the world knoweth us notr because, it knew him not.” Other members of your human family, unconverted, cannot see Christ in you.

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Church of God Faithful Flock

Today, I find myself back in the same hotel room in Rome where 1 had an invigorating “Bible study” with my little traveling group several weeks ago. We remember things by association. This room brought that particular study lesson back to mind.

I had selected by chance two separate chapters in the Bible of which I was very fond. And it so happened that they were the very two chapters that mentioned this very disputed and almost never understood subject of “predestination.” But now I want to devote this “Personal” to making clear the true meaning of that perplexing question.

Does this disputed biblical teaching say that we are prejudged before we are even born? Are humans judged guilty or innocent before they act?

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Church of God Faithful Flock

Some seem to think God’s people meet no trials or tests but are blessed with continual smooth sailing.

In my personal responsibilities in the conduct of this great, important, always-growing Work of God, I have not found it a smooth, easygoing road with no difficulties. I have encountered repeated trials, problems, tests. There have been critical crises. There has been real persecution. There has been deliberate, vicious, lying, unprincipled misrepresentation.

One enemy printed and circulated a list of twenty things he claimed I believed and taught — and I didn’t believe or teach a single one of them. In this Work of the living God there has been deceitful, malicious, ruthless opposition. Obstacles have had to be hurdled frequently. Problems constantly require solution. It has required unwavering faith, perseverance, determination, constant prayer for guidance, and reliance on God for both direction and protection.

Does the Bible teach smooth sailing for true Christians whom God is using? Did the men of God, whose lives pleased God, as recorded in the Bible, have only an easy time of it, or were they constantly meeting trials, tests, troubles of every sort — being continually forced to cry out to God for deliverance?

And why?

Do YOU have problems, difficulties, troubles?.

Church of God Faithful Flock