December 31, 2010

“. . . I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the Seven Churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea” (Revelation 1:11).

The History of God’s One and Only True Church

By

Alton (Don) B. Billingsley

Continued from 4-13-2010, 4-23-2010; 4-30-2010; 5-7-2010; 5-17-2010; 5-21-2010; 5-28-2010; 6-11-2010; 6-18-2010- 6-25-2010; 7-2-2010; 7-16-2010; 7-23-2010; 7-30-2010; 8-6-2010; 10-15-2010; 11-12-2010; 11-26-2010; 12-3-2010-12-17-2010;

Regarding the establishment of His Church, Jesus Christ said to the apostle Peter and the rest of His disciples:

“. . . On this ROCK (Greek: Masculine, Petros, Feminine, Petra, meaning Jesus Christ Himself, Deuteronomy 32:3-4; I Corinthians 10:4) I will BUILD My Church, and the gates of Hades (graves, I Corinthians 15:54-55) shall NOT prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18).

The Church in Philadelphia - The Church of Brotherly Love - began in October 1933 (with 19 members) and is ongoing —

And to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write, "These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens, and no one can shut, and shuts and no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but lie— indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.

Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trail which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast which you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God and he shall go out no more.

I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches (Revelation 3:7-13).

Continued History of the Philadelphia Era of God’s True Church—

This writing will bring the history of the Philadelphia Church Era from the death of God’s apostle January 16, 1986, to the present date of January 1, 2011, focusing on the evolving transition from that time to what came to be the Church of God, Faithful Flock in 2002.

The Beginning Transition of the Faithful

The evolving transition of the faithful began after the departure from the parent Church that had now become totally corrupted by the apostate leadership

It took about 14 years before circumstnces directed by Jesus Christ brought about the Church of God Faithful Flock into a place whereby He could use this small handful of members to once again open the door to His Gospel and the Ezekiel warning message going forth to this world that Christ had closed at the time of the death of Mr. Armstrong.

The simple fact is that Jesus Christ was not going to use an apostate pastor general to continue with His Work so He closed the door (Revelation 3:7).

Jesus Christ would only use a corporate Church of God that would prove to be faithful to Him in truth and in name. This required some time.

Angry Divisions and Factions

During this transition period Christ permitted circumstances to develop here and there whereby a sifting would take place that would separate elders, deacons, and members, from this little flock that He would begin using at the right time.

Each one of the people who left us was because of disagreement that involved different reasons; but when understood, they did not want to be under the government of God.

I Corinthians 11:18-19 “For first of all, when you come together as a Church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there MUST also be FACTIONS among you, that THOSE WHO ARE APPROVED may be recognized among you.”

The apostle John makes this quite clear, not only for his time, but also through the centuries with God’s faithful people, unto this time today, and ongoing, that the departure from God’s true Church proves they were not a part of the true Elect.

I John 2:19 “They went out FROM US, but they were NOT of us, for IF they had been of us, they would have continued with us; BUT they went out that they might be made manifest, that NONE of them were of us.”

Believing and Loving the Truth of God

What made the real difference with Christ by His choice of using this tiny handful of people over all of the other corporate Churches of God—some quite large with well known evangelists and pastors?

One major proof is made known in the following Scripture though others will be made known further on in these writings:

I John 4:6 “We are of God. He who KNOWS God HEARS US; BUT he who is NOT of God does NOT hear us. By this we KNOW the Spirit of TRUTH and the spirit of error.”

Mr. Armstrong has said in the past that one major reason why Jesus Christ used him was the fact that he BELIEVED God.

We also believe God; and also fully believe God’s use of Mr. Armstrong in restoring His laws and true teaching. Why? — Because we have proved them to be true from the Holy Bible. (This is made plain by viewing our doctrinal statements on our website, www.cog-ff-com. They are the same teachings.)

The Falling Away and Scattering of God’s Elect—

To begin let us first consider the following end-time prophecy that led to the time of the emergence of this little, little, flock. And it is little as Jesus Christ makes known::

Luke 12:32 “Do NOT fear little (Greek: little repeated twice) flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.”

End-time prophecy reveals that before the beginning of the Great Tribulation, there would be a falling away from the Church of God, and a scattering of the ELECT people of God.

II Thessalonians 2:1-3 “But, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and OUR GATHERING TOGETHER TO HIM, we ask you, NOT to be soon shaken in mind (intellectually) or troubled (emotionally), either by spirit (demon) or by word or by letter, as from us, as though the Day of Christ had come. LET NO ONE DECEIVE YOU by any means; for that Day will NOT come UNLESS the Falling Away (apostacia, deserts, rejects, rebelling aginst the apostle) COMES FIRST, and the man of sin is revealed (Primary – Pope. Secondarily and type -- the appointed Pastor General) . . .”

This End-Time Prophecy came to pass after the death of God’s faithful servant, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. A prophecy that he understood in part, but not— how, when, and who would bring it about.

This is apparent for Mr. Armstrong would have never named the one he did to replace him had he known this appointed man would be the instrument Satan would use to begin fullfulling this prophecy.

After considering all of the leading evangelists as to which one of them would replace him, he finally settled on Mr. Joseph Tkach. As to why he did was because he stood up for the Church in 1979 when the attorney general of the state of California tried to take over the Church.

Thinking he would continue to uphold the doctrinal teachings that Jesus Christ had used him to restore within His Church was the major factor in Mr. Armstrong’s choice to replace him. In reality he proved to be a wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing.

The Scattering of the Elect

The larger number of the ELECT was also scattered at the same time, some few had left before 1995.

The implication from the prophecy in Daniel’s writing is that there will be another falling away – a complete falling away – before the beginning of the Great Tribulation (Jeremiah 50:7).

Daniel 12:7 “. . . and when the Church has been completely shattered, the end will come.”

Scripture also makes known the proven elect people of God will come fully together in belief and doctrine under God’s chosen pastor, whoever he might be at the time, to rendevous in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 51:50; Revelation 12:13-16).

From there they will go together as a collective group to the place that God will have prepared to protect them from the holocaust, the Great Tribulation! A most terrible time that will befall the whole world (Matthew 24:21-22)!

Shortly before this occurs, Jesus Christ will remove His ELECT just as He had done with His faithful people in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. to a place called Pella in Jordan.

There they were spared from the horrors that befell the Jewish people by Titus and his huge Roman armies, so it will be once again in this end-time with God’s Elect.

Jesus Christ, through the writing of the apostle John, makes known this coming time of horrors will be world-wide; while offering encouragement to the faithul and enduring Philadelphia Era of God’s true Church:

Revelation 3:10 “Because you have KEPT MY COMMAND TO PERSEVERE, I also will KEEP YOU from the HOUR OF TRIAL that will come upon the WHOLE WORLD to TEST those who dwell on the earth.”

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The Beginning of the Falling Away and the Scattering of the Elect— and how it all began—

The Worldwide Church of God – Turned Apostate

Shortly before Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong died January 16, 1986, he appointed Mr. Joseph Tkach, as the Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God to replace him.

Over his nine year tenure, as the physical head of the Church, and with complete authority, he accepted and authorized the replacement of numerous restored doctrinal teachings with Protestant teachings.

In December 1994, Mr. Tkach proclaimed to the Church his acceptance of the full assumption of the teachings of the Protestant Churches with his reasoning that all of the laws of God, including the 10 commandments, were under the Old Covennant and the Church was no longer obligated to obey them.

These were the teachings of the Nicilaitans and Balaam pure and simple that had also crept in with other Church eras through false ministers that had come among them (Revelation 2:6, 14-15, 20).

Though this is not mentioned, per se, in the Sardis Church Era, their past and present history reveal their acceptance of some of the protestant teachings as well while moving farther away from the true teachings of Jesus Christ.

The apostles Peter, Paul, and Jude, in particular in their writings make known how these false teachings entered the true Church of God in all eras.

II Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people even as there will be false teachers among you, who will SECRETLY bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.”

Witnesses have stated that the appointed pastor general died a horribly painful death just a few months later similar to the horrible painful death of Herod (Acts 12:23; King Jehoram of Judah (II Chronicles 21:12-15, 18-19); and that of Antiochus Ephipanes IV. 162 B. C.

The apostate pastor general took approximatley 50, 000 members with him back into pagan beliefs of the Baals and Asheroth by accepting the protestant beliefs and teachings.

I Timothy 4:1-2 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will DEPART from the FAITH, GIVING HEED to deciving spirits and DOCTRINES of demons, speaking lies in HYPOCRISY, having their own conscience SEARED with a hot iron.”

II Peter 2:2-3 “And MANY will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of TRUTH wil be blasphemed. By covetousness they will EXPLOIT you with DECEPTIVE words . . .”

Jude 3-4 “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to CONTEND EARNESTLY for the FAITH once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men HAVE CREPT IN UNNOTICED (surreptitiously) who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who TURN the grace of our God into licentiousness (license to do evil) and (by doing so) DENY the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jude 12, 16 “These are spots in your LOVE FEASTS (Holy Days), while they feast with you without FEAR, serving only themselves. . . . These are murmurers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts, and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.”

My Personal History—

Up to almost that time in 1994, I had remained as pastor of the local Churches in Stockton/Modesto, California without being dealt with by headquarters though I had not preached any of the changes.

It was my intention to remain as long as I could as pastor to be there for the loyal members of the two Congregations that totaled approximately 450 people. I did not realize how few there would be of the faithful members among them until these changes were made.

After having made known what Mr. Tkach had said to the ministry about all of the laws being done away during a regional ministerial conference in Santa Barbara, California in late December, 1994, I found, instead of sadness and tears, most of the membership were overjoyed to learn what he had said.

Restrained from Preaching

Almost immediately, one particular woman member in the Modesto Congregation, who claimed she had a hotline with Joe Tkach, Jr., began calling him saying I was not in agreement with them and not preaching the changes. He would then call me.

In 1995, shortly before the Passover, he made known that I could not preach any more and would be replaced by a minister from Canada.

My last two sermons had to do with the dietary laws of the holy Bible, proving from a health point of view, as well as from God’s laws, why these laws were to be obeyed.

I was accused later by the minister who replaced me that I had thrown a bombshell in the Church by preaching those sermons knowing they were going to be made null and void. I did not know – but I suspected it.

In the interim, Joe, Jr. told me that Bill Bradford and Leroy Cole would come and preach in my place until the new pastor, Rod DeVrees, arrived to take over the Churches as the new pastor.

Shortly thereafter, I was called by John Anderson from Church Administration who made known that Joe Jr. told him that I had to be retired or fired. After making known I did not want retirement, Joe Jr. made the decision to give me a payout for my 30 years in God’s service at that time.

Shortly thereafter my name, along with the names of other ministers, was read by Dr. Hoeh before the Pasadena Congregation as being disfellowshipped. He added that he was glad his name was not on the list.

Departure from Worldwide Church of God

Two Sabbaths before the Passover, a small number of members from the two congregations chose to remain with me while departing from what had become the apostate Worldwide Church of God in Modesto and Stockton – the presence of Jesus Christ was no longer in Pasadena after having departed in 1986.

To be continued

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