February 26, 2010

When He opened the 5^th seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been SLAIN for the Word of God and for the TESTIMONY which they held. And they cried (symbolically) with a LOUD VOICE, “How long O LORD, holy and true, until you judge and avenge OUR BLOOD on those who dwell on the earth.” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, UNTIL both the number of their FELLOW SERVANTS and THEIR BRETHREN, WHO WOULD BE KILLED AS THEY WERE, WAS COMPLETED (Revelation 6:9-11).

Dear Brethren,

While thinking about the terrible times that we are even now entering with the realization they are a forerunner of the soon-coming Great Tribulation in which will be the coming martyrdom of saints, is grievous to think of the terrible deaths of many thousands of saints that will then take place.

The very sad part of this is each one believes this coming time is nothing to be concerned about for they are confident they are going to be protected from this coming horrific blood-bath! Too late, they will realize their most grievous error in reasoning!

The Scriptures are very clear regarding the closing of the door to the place of protection for the Laodicean and Sardis Church Eras, and possibly salvation as well, UNLESS they repent and remain faithful to Christ and His teachings while experiencing horrible and painful deaths (Matthew 25:11-12).

Unless they hear very soon the knocking on the doors of their hearts and minds by Jesus Christ and OPEN the door to Him through repentance and acceptance of His true teachings, Scriptures clearly make known these are the members WHO WOULD BE KILLED as were the saints of earlier years.

This should cause the hair to stand up on the backs of our necks with the thought this could be talking about YOU as well as me!

But it doesn’t! Members are much like the public around us who are apathetic, lethargic, and indifferent to the Scriptural WARNINGS from Jesus Christ. To each of us as members of His Church, Christ cautions through the writing of the apostle Paul:

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take HEED lest he fall!” (I Corinthians 10:12.)

We are exhorted to continually evaluate ourselves as whether we are yet in the good graces of Jesus Christ – especially so as we are now very close to the Passover:

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith (once delivered to the saints, Jude 3). PROVE YOURSELVES (Margin: Test). Do you NOT know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified (Margin: do not stand the test – gone completely astray, II Corinthians 13:5; Jeremiah 17:9-10, 13).

TEST: Are you praying an hour a day with your heart in your prayers? Do you study the holy Bible while seeking for understanding? Are you in the Congregation Jesus Christ is using as an instrument in taking the Gospel and the Ezekiel Warning message to the Church and to Israel? Are you sure?

TEST: Have you studied the original unedited Mystery of the Ages lately to see whether the corporate Church of God you are in is fully in line with the teachings that Christ sent His late apostle to teach His people?

There is not much time left before the door will be closed to be protected from what is even now very near!

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong cried out warnings from the early 1930s to the time of his death in 1986, and even though those same WARNINGS are still being preached by him, though dead, via of his Recorded Works on our websites, the members who do read his writings or listen to his broadcasts, telecasts, sermons, and Bible studies, are for the most part unmoved by them to STIR UP the Spirit of God within them— if they still have that awesome blessing.

The Coming of Jesus Christ

I am reminded of a sermon given in earlier years when it was said by a minister that he dreamed that Jesus Christ was returning and he was not rising to meet Him. He began to wave his arms up and down trying to rise with the others and was unable to do it.

Considering the grave seriousness of our not being resurrected or changed at Christ’s coming we would do well to be thinking very soberly about our Spiritual condition, and where we now are, whether we are ministers or lay members, as we are admonished to do by the apostle Paul:

Will There Be FEW Saved?

With this in mind we should seriously consider the gravity of the question that was asked of Jesus Christ, and His answer: “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” . . . (Luke 13:22-30, NRSV).

Jesus Christ responded by saying, “Strive (struggle, literally agonize as in agony) to enter the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will be unable. When once the Master of the House has risen up and shut the door (Matthew 25:10-13, as God closed the door of the Ark, Genesis 7:16), and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do NOT know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence (form – not substance), and you taught in our streets (liberal churches – wide is the gate and broad is the way, Matthew 7:13). But He will say, ‘I tell you I DO NOT KNOW YOU (anymore—if He ever did!), where you are from (wrong church). ‘Depart from Me all you workers of iniquity (wrong in changing the teachings).’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (anger), WHEN YOU SEE (we will know one another) Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and yourselves THRUST OUT’” (Luke 13:24-28).

No FEAR of God

The apostle Paul makes known that Jesus Christ is not only coming for His true and faithful people but He will also be coming in fury to avenge Himself on those who are the disobedient and those who have moved away from the embodiment of the fullness of the true gospel:

“When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in FLAMING FIRE, inflicting vengeance upon those who do NOT know God AND UPON THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS” His mighty angels (II Thessalonians 1:7-8).

As one can see from the context of this Scripture, the gospel here means much more than the Good News of the potential of being added to the God family, it also embodies all of the true teachings of God and His holy and righteous laws.

A lesson should be learned from the Sardis Church Era: Due to their refusal to accept the true doctrinal teachings as restored by God’s late apostle, and accepting some of the teachings of the Protestants, Christ says they are a dead Church! Can we not see this is also true with the Corporate Churches who are guilty of the same things?

Virtually all of the 450 corporate Churches of God are in disobedience both in belief and practice of those true teachings to one degree or another as restored within the Church of God by Jesus Christ through His late apostle and the promised Elijah to come.

Jesus Christ WARNS His people who are not remaining vigilant and faithful to Him of the danger to themselves; unless there are the real and meaningful changes made back to the faith with the heart and mind that was once delivered to the saints and taught to us by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong: “. . . FEAR Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna, Matthew 10:28).

It is very apparent there is no real fear of God in the corporate Churches of God today. And because of the lack of fear for Him, and no longer having an apostle over us, we are seeing the reign of human reason. A way that seems right but the end thereof is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).

Our time today is essentially described the same as it was in the time of the Book of Judges; the bloodiest Book of the Bible: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25).

The Last Three Church Eras

Jesus Christ makes known the distinction amongst the membership of those who are remaining faithful to Jesus Christ and His true teachings in contrast to those who have wandered away from a real knowing relationship with God and unfaithfulness to Him in all of those essential areas.

This can be understood by studying carefully the last three eras of the true Church of God:

1) The Sardis Church of God era is virtually dead (Revelation 3:1).

2) Though small in comparison to the much larger corporate Churches, the Philadelphia Church of God era remains faithful to the true doctrinal teachings and rulings that were made by Jesus Christ through Mr. Armstrong. And in so doing it has not denied the name of Jesus Christ by changing any of them. As the result it is promised protection from the Great Tribulation (Revelation 3:8, 10).

3) The Laodicean Church of God era is lukewarm and will be vomited out of the mouth of Jesus Christ to experience horrible deaths during the Great Tribulation. For those who remain faithful to God unto death they will be found worthy to receive salvation (Revelation 3:16, 18-22).

The sad part is that hardly anyone will examine themselves spiritually as Paul exhorted us to do to see whether we really are being found to have a real and knowing relationship with our Father and Jesus Christ.

And for those who do with the determination to do all that is necessary to make sure as much as they can to be in right standing with God, even though it might be necessary to walk alone for awhile, that one is a true faithful member of the Philadelphia era of Church of God.

And as such, he or she is in good standing with God our Father and with Jesus Christ and have the added blessing of the promise of protection and of being able to stand before Jesus Christ at His coming.

Those who will be Saved

The true membership of the Philadelphia Era of the Church of God is further defined by the apostle John:

“. . . it is those who FOLLOW the Lamb wherever He goes; these have been REDEEMED from mankind as FIRSTFRUITS for God and the Lamb, and in their mouths NO LIE (no departure from the restored doctrines of Jesus Christ) was found for they are spotless (chaste virgins – not in the unfaithful corporate Churches, Revelation 14:1-5).

Persecution of the Righteous

Jesus Christ has made known His Church would experience persecution because of clinging to His true teachings. Sadly, this too often comes from people who are supposed to be members of the Church of God or from family members (Matthew 10:20-39).

Christ encourages His persecuted people to not let themselves be destroyed by whatever is said to or about them but rather rejoice knowing the same always happens in whatever age to those who remain faithful to Him (I Peter 4:13):

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and TAUGHT them, saying . . .: “Blessed are you when men REVILE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU AND UTTER all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad for your REWARD is great in heaven, for so men PERSECUTED the prophets before you” (Matthew 5:11).

An Uphill Struggle, but One that can be Won

The true people of God’s Church have had to struggle to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and His true teachings all through the centuries from 31 A. D. It is no different today. And to all who have remained faithful unto death have immortalized themselves in God’s Book of life; just as we are today, come what may. To them, and to us, Jesus Christ said:

“Do Not FEAR little (Greek, little, little) flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom (Luke 12:32).

Mr. Armstrong sometimes has said, “I have read the end of the Book, and we win!” And we will by enduring unto the end while faithfully clinging to our Father and Jesus Christ and remaining upright in Their way of life.

Your servant and pastor,
Don Billingsley

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