Pastor's Comments February 3, 2012

My son, give attention to my words, incline your ear to my sayings, do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are LIFE to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. KEEP your HEART (and mind) with ALL DILIGENCE, for out of it springs the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put perverse lips from you.” Proverbs 4:20-24.

In 1954, a student of Ambassador College walked into the combined office of Mr. Roderick C. Meredith and Mr. Herman L. Hoeh, and made the following statement to them: “I know what God wants to give me, but I am not willing to wait for it. I want mine now! He then took his belongings and departed from the college.

The previous night during the Ambassador Speaking Club, he stood up and made a shocking statement during the Table Topics Session, that I do not now remember, but it was connected with what he had said to Mr. Meredith and Mr. Hoeh, in which all could see he had a very bad attitude problem.

Attitude is always with us whether good, bad, or otherwise. It is an essential part of mind and life.

There are always the problems with which all are confronted in everyday life that can lead to bad attitudes unless they are dealt with in a very positive way. (Job 5:7; 14:1).

This country and the world are in a state of rebellion! This can be more readily seen in this end-time virtually anywhere one cares to look.

MYSTERY OF THE AGES, “Mystery of Angels and Evil Spirits,” Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, Page 58, 59,

“All the evils and troubles in the world are caused by minds clashing with minds. But what is the real cause of clashing of minds? . . . the Bible reveals a very real but invisible world . . . existing along with our own absolutely indiscernible to our five senses. It is the spirit world. . . .

In Ephesians 6 it is stated that our contentions and strivings are in fact not with other human people, but against “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [evil spirits] in high places.

How can this be? Why is the world filled with such clashings and contentions between human minds?

In Ephesians 2:2, humans have been walking “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.” People simply do not realize that there is an invisible spirit power injecting into their minds these hostile attitudes.”

The same is true with the people of the Church of God. Members sometimes get into attitude problems without really considering the source.

In this life with the many problems confronting each one it becomes very easy to begin feeling sorry for self – feeling dejected, worthless, unappreciated, or even wanted, or cared about.

It should be realized that Satan the devil, as the prince of the power of the air, with his injections of bad attitudes, never takes a break or quits.

Always he waits for members to begin showing that kind of an attitude; and with his negative airwaves, he feeds their minds by leading them into feeling so despondent and discouraged they will begin to think, “What is the use? I would be better off dead.” And some have ended their lives in one way or another.

As a pastor of many years, I knew some who resorted to this terrible ending to their human lives in one way of another.

There are others who have fed themselves on bad attitudes to the degree of it leading to a root of bitterness as did Esau the brother of Jacob (Hebrews 12:15-17).

Satan’s avowed purpose is to destroy God’s true people and he continues with his deadly effort and purpose.

There are two invisible areas of deadly danger that can only be recognized spiritually by how they affect our attitudes so much as to conceivably destroy God’s people unless immediate action is taken:

1) Satan’s nature, termed human nature, within each one. The apostle Paul terms it, “the law of sin” (Romans 7:13-25). The carnal mind with its evil nature is enmity, or hostile, toward God (Romans 8:6-9).

2) A frontal attack by Satan as the prince of the power of the air with his fiery darts that connects with the “Works of the Flesh” (Ephesians 6:16). They feed on the natural emotions within each can lead to an eternal death unless suppressed by the powerful aid of God’s Holy Spirit.

Though there are other works of the flesh mentioned—this writing will only focus on the more common dangers that can adversely affect the attitude of mind and heart.

Galatians 5:20-21 “. . . Hatred (toward a brother or sister in Christ, or anyone), outbursts of wrath (hot anger), contentions (arguments), selfish ambitions (thinking more highly of oneself than one should think – not being recognized), dissensions (rebellion against government), envy (coveting), jealousy. Those who practice such things will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Galatians 5:26 “Let us NOT become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

The fruits of God’s Holy Spirit are in stark contrast to the works of the flesh; and they should be reflected at all times within God’s true people.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE (I Corinthians 13:1-8), joy (happiness running over), peace (of mind and reflects a godly attitude), longsuffering (toward everyone), kindness, goodness (giving), faithfulness (do not give up regardless of setbacks), gentleness (margin: meekness, humility), self-control (lust swelling up, coveting, jealousy, greed, anger—be you angry, righteous indignation, and sin not in any circumstance, etc., Ephesians 4:26), against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (God’s Spirit of LOVE). Galatians 5:22-25.

One former member made his departure from the Church of God a few years ago with the excuse that he had come home from the Feast of Tabernacles the last three years with a bad attitude. This was the first time that I knew about it. He always appeared very friendly to me up to that time.

Another member said he had come home the previous year from the Feast of Tabernacles with a bad attitude. This member had not said anything to me about his attitude problem either and was always friendly as well.

Neither one told me at this time what were the reasons for their attitude problems. Presumably, based on what another member told me, I, as the pastor, was responsible for not using the government of God as I should have in handling problems. What problems I really do not know for they would not tell me even though I asked at least three times to give me an example.

How do these kinds of attitudes begin and then lead to such a crisis that men and women leave the Church of God?

Over the many years of my ministry I have heard reasons given such as “no love” in the local Church but this was not true for every Church I have had the blessing of being the pastor had lots of love in it. Rarely have I ever heard the person give the real reasons why they choose to leave the Church.

A wrong attitude sometimes begins over the most insignificant things. One family in a Church area where I was at the time as an associate pastor, called the pastor and said he was leaving the Church

After some investigation into the root of the problem it was found this family shared a house with another family during the previous Feast of Tabernacles. One day they were going to cook a meal. One woman wanted to cook the chicken one way and the other another way.

This led into such a rift between the two families this one family was going to leave the Church over it. The pastor was able to work with the family so they did not leave the Church.

Every person alive, whether in the Church or not, has to struggle with attitude problems in life, such as: marital problems, not being recognized as a person on whom praise should be lavished, not paid enough money, and others less qualified given a leading role responsibility, etc..

Sometimes the resentful member will leave the Church of God; a resentful employee will often terminate his employment and tell the supervisor they can shove the job (as one song has it).

We sometimes read of an employee becoming so embittered that he or she takes a gun to the job and kills fellow employees along with the supervisors. Numerous times we have also learned of teens in school taking a gun and killing classmates and teachers and then themselves. Then there are the others who just give up and commit suicide.

It often begins as a young child. If the child does not get his or her way they will often throw a temper tantrum in the home or in public! And unless the parents are able to work with the child in a godly manner to overcome the attitude with correct teachings he or she often comes to be a real problem in society. Too often they will end up in jail and worse!

It has been my responsibility over the years to work with members who have had some real attitude problems. Some I have been able to help and others I was not. Some even went so far as to commit suicide either before I came on the scene as pastor; and others after I had been transferred to another Church area.

There was one young lad who blew the top of his head off after school in his home. If I remember correctly, this had to do with the loss of a girlfriend in school. This occurred while I was yet the pastor. His mother was in the Church but I do not believe the young lad attended Church with her. I officiated at his funeral.

Some members I never knew retained grave problems in their minds over time and never spoke to the pastor about them until the last moment before they left. With others the problems did not come to be known until they had already left the Church and did not want to be contacted.

Under such circumstances there is very little if anything that can be done to help them for they had already made up their minds and there was no stopping them.

A shocking total surprise took place one Sabbath right after services were over. I had no inkling why I was led aside to meet with three men. Immediately I was told they were leaving the Church of God.

Sadly, they never tried to talk to me about whatever attitude problem that had been building over time to see if their problems could possibly be resolved. And they never indicated they wanted to talk to me about them or even then. Though I appealed to them to let me know what was troubling them it was of no use for their minds were made up.

God Himself spoke to Israel about the need of reasoning together so the relationship could possibly be restored (Isaiah 1:18). This should be an example to us as well as the many Scriptures that make known what all of us should do if problems should develop that would adversely affect our attitudes and stability; and they always do in one form or another. This is life.

And as long as the member approaches the pastor with a right spirit and attitude, the pastor should have the attitude of wanting the person or persons to voice any problems that he or she might have with him without any later repercussions from the pastor.

I could go on and on about people I have known over many years that had developed real attitude problems over some insignificant or major problem. However it is not my purpose in this writing to elaborate on the problems I might yet remember.

In this writing I just want to write enough to show how deadly an attitude can come to be unless it is monitored and recognized! It then becomes very vital to overcome whatever it might be through the help of Jesus Christ before it comes to be too late.

This subject is well understood by me because of my own struggles with my attitude over the many years I have been blessed to be a member as well as a local elder for 17 years and then a pastor for 38 years. I have cried, fasted, numerous times, while crying out to God to help me whip my attitude and He always did. Not always immediately, but He did help me each time, and still does.

One pastor I worked under as a local elder was so oppressive during the three years I served under him that it came to the point I saw him one day from a short distance and I did not want him to see me. Then the thought entered my mind that this was terribly wrong of me. I repented.

I tried talking to him one day. He listened, but there was no change and then I experienced repercussions by voicing the problem. Though I did not realize it at the time I since came to see God had never brought him to real repentance and conversion.

Like so many other longtime pastors, he fully accepted the protestant teachings and was even used by HQ to send him to Churches to try and win over all of the members to the liberation they now had from God’s teachings and laws, so they thought and proclaimed.

Prior to 1986, a few of the members developed such attitude problems they just left and refused to even discuss the reasons why. I have received letters from a few who just said they were leaving, without making known the problems they had, and did not want to be contacted by me or anyone.

In some cases they had to be disfellowshipped due to the poison they spread to other members (Romans 16:17-18).

So how does such a problem develop and grow to such a high level that members are ready to just quit and possibly throw away all that God has to offer them by remaining faithful to Him and His way of life?

To understand we need to go back and see how it developed with the greatest created being God ever brought into angel life.

Mystery of the Ages, pages 83, 85, 81 Mr. Armstrong [Scriptures used from Ezekiel 28:12-17; Isaiah 14:12-15]:

“This superb spirit (Lucifer) being filled up the sum total of wisdom, perfection, and beauty. He was the supreme pinnacle, the master piece, of God’s creation, as an individually created being, the greatest one in the almighty power of God to create! The tragic thing is that he rebelled against his Maker. . . . He had complete knowledge, understanding and wisdom. And with all this foreknowledge – even of results and consequences – this superb being, the highest even God could create by fiat, turned to rebellion against his Maker – against the way that produces every good. He turned to lawlessness.

“What caused the angels on earth to sin, to turn to lawlessness? Certainly the ordinary angels did not persuade this great superbeing to turn traitor. No, it was in him that iniquity was found . . . It is not revealed how long it took him to persuade all of the angels under him to turn traitor and follow him.

I know well the method he used. He uses the same method still today in leading deceived humans into disloyalty, rebellion, and self-centered opposition against God’s government. First, he turns one or two to envy, jealousy and resentment over an imagined injustice – then into disloyalty. Then he uses that one or two, like a rotten apple in a crate, to stir up resentment, feelings of self-pity, disloyalty and rebellion in others next to them. And, as each rotten apple rots those next to it until the whole crate is rotten, so Satan proceeds.

Satan’s rebel rule was NOT a government based upon the principle of love – of giving, of outgoing concern for the good of others, but based on SELF-CENTEREDNESS, on vanity, lust and greed, on envy, jealousy, the spirit of competition, hatred, violence and destruction, on darkness and error, instead of light and truth, on ugliness instead of beauty.”

The attitude of a Christian, or really anyone, can be affected in many ways as I have already made known to some degree. It is an area a human being has to monitor and struggle very hard to overcome to remain in God’s way of life.

Satan the devil knows very well each member within the Church of God. He knows our every weakness and this is what he preys on while trying to destroy us (Job 1:11; 2:4).

As the prince of the air waves, Satan is continually broadcasting with his attitudes of selfishness and vanity, of competition and strife like television and radio broadcasting. The human being can, and does, pick up these broadcasts because the human being is in tune with its spiritual wavelength (Correspondence Course # 19, Ephesians 2:2).

Realizing the fact that each and every one of us is affected at one time or another in one way or another by his broadcasting, we MUST instantly know where this is coming from and pray hard to suppress it.

If this does not work then one needs to fast while crying out to God to take it away from us.

Many years ago I personally learned that Jesus Christ does not always remove an attitude problem right away. He wants us to recognize it as being wrong and keep struggling against it until He gives us the help needed to make it go away (Hebrews 4;16).

In this way it is somewhat like physical healing. One time the healing is immediate and other times we have to wait while exercising faith that Christ will intervene when it is best for us. Godly character has to be developed in each of us in every way.

Jesus said it would be impossible for us to escape offences for we are human and we have daily contact with other human beings (Matthew 18:7; Luke 17:1). And as Mr. Armstrong has said we will often rub people the wrong way or they us. When we are close to one another these things happen!

However the loving relationship that we have with our Father and Jesus Christ will always triumph over any and all bad attitude problems if we really love God with all of our hearts and love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:35-40).

We must never let a day go by without sincere prayer asking God for our daily supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ with all of its wonderful attributes as made known in Galatians 5:22-23. Though all of these attributes are essential for the stability we all must have to remain within God’s loving care, “LOVE” is the most important of all as the apostle Paul makes known in I Corinthians 13:1-13 and 14:1.

God is LOVE (I John 4:8, 16). And we should pray and ask that by His Holy Spirit He will pour out His LOVE throughout our hearts (Romans 5:5). His LOVE will never fail us. Love is from God and it flows into us from His very mind. By having His love always within us we will endure unto the end and then be able to stand before the glorified presence of Jesus Christ at His coming.

God’s love is an outgoing love with caring concern for others as was written by Mr. Armstrong in his above writings from his book, The Mystery of the Ages. We have not been called by God to be in His way of life for selfish reasons, thinking of only our own salvation, rather we are to have a deep loving concern for all others as was manifested by Jesus Christ in His human ministry.

Always, and always, we must monitor our attitude of mind and heart and then cry out to God to help us overcome whatever problem we will at times find within ourselves. Scripture reveals Jesus Christ is always just a fervent prayer away and is there to aid us in overcoming any and all problems affecting adversely our attitudes and our salvation.

King David set us an example by praying as he did to God about sins that could possibly overwhelm him:

King David cried out to God not to let an attitude of impulsiveness or presumptuousness overpower him in any given circumstance:

“. . . Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins (unlawful liberties); let them NOT have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great (margin: much) transgression . . .” (Psalm19:7-14).

Before President Nixon resigned in 1974 from that high office, and before leaving the white house, he made the following statement to this effect: “I am not leaving with an attitude of bitterness for I know what that would do to me.”

The apostle Paul wrote about the “root of bitterness” that can cause us to lose our hope of salvation unless we struggle hard through the help and caring love of Jesus Christ to overcome it (Hebrews 12:12-17).

We MUST NEVER EVER let an attitude problem overwhelm us! For as the apostle Paul wrote in using this example, we could be rejected as was Esau!

Jesus Christ set the example for us in the Garden in Gethsemane when He knew His time had come to be arrested, insulted, degraded, beaten with fists and with a Roman lictor’s whip, and then be crucified unto death – to suffer the ultimate for you, me, and the world.

Knowing the great need of help from His Father, He prayed so fervently to Him that His sweat became “blood” while pleading for His help to remain faithful to His purpose— the strength of mind needed to maintain a righteous and faithful attitude (Luke 22:44).

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (who overcame and remained faithful unto death), let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, LOOKING UNTO JESUS, the author and finisher of our faith, WHO FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM, endured the tree (I Peter 2:24), despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God . . .” (Hebrews 12:1-4).

Please pray for those who might be truly converted members who chose to leave us over past years because of attitude problems and ask God to bring them back to us.

In conclusion, think deeply about the many positive and encouraging promises that have been given by God and Jesus Christ to strengthen and uphold us in Their perfect and wonderful way of life that will lead to the World to Come and out part in it.

Jude 24-25 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

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