Pastor's Comments March 9, 2012

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth”

Viewing the horrible and abominable sins being committed by the House of Joseph and the other Tribes of Israel, I try hard not only to keep you vigilant of their many problems in light of the end-time prophecies, but also to fulfill my part of the commission given to me as the pastor of God’s Church to prepare you as God’s people for the coming of Jesus Christ.

In so doing, I feel all of us need to not only see the continued evil practices of the Israeli people that will soon bring about terrible calamities on them, but we should also continue to focus on their potential that will be realized by the majority of them when their time comes for the blindness to be removed from their minds in God’s Master Plan of Salvation:

“And He will destroy on this mountain (Mount Zion) the surface of the covering CAST OVER all people, and the VEIL that is spread over ALL nations” (Isaiah 25:7).

“Then I will give them a ONE HEART, and I will put A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN THEM, and take the STONY HEART out of their flesh, and give them A HEART of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19; 18;31;; 18;31; 36:26).

When this is completed in God’s Plan all of us will come together in His loving embrace as members of His Family (Revelation 21:1-4), brothers and sisters in Christ, and dwelling forever as His children.

Lest we get puffed up due to our calling and selection by God at this time, Scripture reveals that it is only by the grace and mercy of God that we are not where they are now:

“And YOU He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which YOU ONCE WALKED according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who NOW works in the sons of disobedience, AMONG WHOM also we all once conducted ourselves in the LUSTS of the flesh, fulfilling the DESIRES of the flesh and of the mind, and were BY NATURE children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is RICH in mercy, because of His GREAT LOVE with which He LOVED us, even WHEN we were DEAD in trespasses, MADE US ALIVE together with Christ (by GRACE you have been saved) . . .” (Ephesians 2:1-10).

Realizing our total unworthiness, we should be moved to tears with humility as well as our hearts being filled with praise and honor to our wonderful Father and His beloved Son Jesus Christ that we have been so graciously blessed at this time.

We also should be praying more will be called and added to God’s Church to be spared before the end-time prophecies fully begin taking place.

We must remember the other Tree in the Garden in Eden was GOOD as well as Evil. Though all are now blinded to knowing the true God and His perfect way of life there are many who try in their own way to do GOOD in their communities and also to others.

I think all of us can remember when we were blessed by some of these people who did us some deed or favor at different times.

In 1966, we were transferred to Pittsburgh, PA to serve in that area. After having arrived and being shown around the city by the pastor, I lost my wallet while getting out of the car to observe something. It had all of my money in it that was needed to rent a home.

It was suggested that I check with the police. And when I did I was told my wallet was there intact – money and all. A man and his little daughter had found it and had taken it to the police station.

After retrieving it, I called the man and tried to offer him money as a reward but he refused to take it. The family only wanted to know I had it back.

Often times I look at families walking together and I think ahead to what is coming and I feel sorrow for them knowing the anguish of heart, pain, and suffering, they will experience during this soon-coming time; as did the Jewish people during World War II.

We can only pray for God’s mercy for them while doing all that Christ enables us to do in getting the WARNING message out to them with the hope they will hear and fear and make real changes in their lives so Christ might spare them.

God is love! And Jesus Christ manifested His love for all His people in the nation of Judah in many different ways during His ministry. He had great compassion for them, as the following Scripture reveals:

But when He saw the multitudes He was MOVED WITH COMPASSION because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd (Matthew 9:36).

This is the manner in which we should view all of these people who will one day be our true brothers and sisters. We see their problems, their sickness, and sorrow, and wish we could help them knowing they have shepherds who continue to lead them astray and worshiping gods that are no gods (Revelation 12:9).

The only way we can try to help them as individuals in this age is by being a LIGHT and setting an example while being a good and thoughtful neighbor (Matthew 22:39), following the Golden Rule:

“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise” (Luke 6:31).

Mr. Armstrong has said many times, the most important thing is taking the Gospel to the world! To keep preaching and writing of the wonderful world to come at which time all the tears will cease flowing and be replaced with abundant joy, happiness and peace.

As the Church of God, Faithful Flock, we must continue doing all that Jesus Christ enables us to do in going forth with the “Good News of a soon-coming beautiful new world” in which they will live with the opportunity of being born again into God’s Family.

Having survived this coming time and living over into the beginning of the millennium, the darkness will be removed from their eyes. They will then be granted repentance; just as we were so wonderfully blessed when God opened our eyes (Jeremiah 30. 31.).

While reading the four gospels we see the loving compassion expressed by Jesus Christ during His ministry here on earth as God in the human flesh. Continually He was serving all of the people, preaching, healing, even raising some from the dead (Matthew 9:18-33).

And during the final Passover service before He was crucified, He knelt and washed His disciple’s feet, setting us an example that we should do as He did.

At the close of His ministry to mankind while in the human flesh, Jesus Christ suffered the ultimate in scourging and death on the stake to pay the penalty for both the physical and spiritual sins for all of mankind.

Jesus Christ voluntarily did this in order to take the sins of mankind upon Himself just as John the Baptizer said He would do:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29.

Jesus Christ willingly experienced the ultimate in humiliation, suffering, and death by crucifixion because of His awesome caring love for each and every human being who has ever lived or ever will live. This can be seen in many Scriptures, among them, Jesus said:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever [comes to] believes in Him should NOT perish but have everlasting life. For God did NOT send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

I fear many of us fail to have the balance we need in not only hating the sin, but also having love and compassion for the sinner knowing he does not fully know what he or she does (Luke 23:34). Yes, they do know what they do! However not in the truest of reality as Jesus Christ said.

Mr. Armstrong has said he had grown to the place he could pray and ask God to bless his enemies – meaning with the blessing of heartfelt repentance for them.

This is very hard to do, but we must also grow to be able to do the same knowing they do not now know what they are really doing.

Speaking to the Jewish people gathered around him, the apostle Peter said the same about the very ones who were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ:

“But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and KILLED the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. . . . Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it IN IGNORANCE, AS DID ALSO YOUR RULERS” (Acts 3:14-16, 18).

The Apostle Paul also wrote about the blindness of the people who were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ:

“However we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. For we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the HIDDEN wisdom, which God ordained BEFORE the ages for our glory, which NONE of the rulers of this age knew; for HAD THEY KNOWN, they would NOT have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:6-8).

“Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Shortly before Jesus Christ was crucified, HE LITTERLY WEPT, CRIED WITH TEARS FLOWING DOWN HIS CHEEKS, while visualizing what the Roman armies would do to Jerusalem in just a few years and the horrors all of the people, men, women and children would experience at that time (Luke 19:41-44).

And while Jesus Christ was being forced to walk to the stake where He would suffer untold agony that would lead to His death after 6 long hours on it, He had thoughts of compassion for the grieving women who were closely following Him knowing what they would have to suffer in 70 A. D.

But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts which never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us”’ (Luke 23:27-30).

Can we not have compassions and sorrow, even moved to tears, just as did Jesus Christ, knowing what is soon to come upon all of these people who are of the same kindred as us (Israelites)?

At the same time we should also have compassion for the Gentile peoples—praying for them and the time when they will also be delivered from their despotic leaderships who use, abuse, torture, and murder to stabilize their positions of authoritative positions of power with tyrannical leadership, such as those in the recent past: Stalin, Hitler, Pot Poi, Ida Amin, etc.

This is all the people of the many Gentile nations have known for the most part during this past almost 6,000 years.

Jesus Christ loves them as well; and this is shown by the fact He will raise up Two Witnesses to warn them of Armageddon for three and one/half years just before Christ returns to this earth.

We can well imagine these peoples giving great praise and honor to God and Jesus Christ when they are resurrected and come to find they have been freed from such rulers and now blessed to be ruled by a loving and caring God for them (Jeremiah 16:19).

As God’s people we should also love the potential of the men and women who are fighting in foreign countries and many being killed to preserve our cherished religious beliefs while we are yet blessed to have this freedom.

At the same time it should be realized there is a curse on the House of Joseph and He has permitted Satan to bring about these wars just as Solomon faced after he turned away from God, and many are being killed because of these wars.

Some few of us in the Church also served in the military in previous wars, but that was at a time when we did not know God. We would not do that today for God hates wars.

Jesus Christ intervened and even used the military to preserve the House of Joseph during the past World Wars by making possible the winning of those wars to enable His gospel to continue going forth to this world.

There have been no winning of wars that have occurred since due to the acceleration of abominable sins. The wars being fought today are no-win wars such as those with Korea and Viet Nam.

The current wars are on-hold just as is the economy is being upheld because of God’s Time Table and the continued need of the gospel going forth.

We should know that God is the Supreme Ruler of this Universe and that nothing takes place without His permission. In many cases He intervenes here and there as needed to keep ongoing His 6,000-year plan uninterrupted.

And Israel is the “KEY NATION” or “Center Piece” that Jesus Christ is using to fulfill His Master Plan. And to keep His timetable intact, Jesus Christ has in past wars, and the present, used the human leaders of the House of Joseph to win wars to keep Israel from being destroyed.

It is of particular interest that numerous leaders recognized and wrote of the intervention of God that enabled them to win the major battles and finally the wars that took place in World War I and World War II.

I love this nation and thank God for it just as all of you do in whatever nation in which you may live. Just think what it would be like having been born and reared in countries under the harsh and rigid rule of despotic rulers.

It is also realized that we have come to the time when God tells us we are to pray no longer for the leadership on all levels along with all of the people who are also involved with their abominable sins.

“Therefore do NOT pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will NOT hear you” (Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 15:1).

We should still pray for the people who are yet trying not to be a part of the evil – such as voting against same sex marriages, trying to prevent abortions, seeking to keep their children from being taught the alternatives to sex is right, etc.

Consider, Jeremiah, he was one of God's greatest prophets. He is also known to have been a crying prophet for he loved his nation. And because of what God revealed to him of the dire punishments that were coming in Judah (and Israel, chapter 30, plus), he cried for they would not listen to what God had revealed to him of that which was to befall them. He appealed to the king to heed God's instructions as to how he could save himself and the nation just before Judah fell. The king would not do it.

I have the same compassionate feelings as did Mr. Armstrong (and Jeremiah). Though he hit hard on what is coming, trying to wake people up, he also tried to get into their minds how they could be spared from what is now just before us. These are very sad times.

Sometimes I have sat in the car and observed people, parents and their children, going by and I have projected myself in thought to what they will experience and it saddened me. Though I am not anywhere close to the level of Christ, I feel compassion as He did.

It is easy to become frustrated and discouraged because there are so few voices that are trying to WAKE UP the leaders of this country to begin making the needed changes to try and save America from the horrible times ahead; but little to no attention is paid to them.

Truly, Jesus Christ is the only real hope for mankind; but sadly that hope will only be realized after He returns to this earth.

From a worldly point of view, there are many good and lovely people yet in this country (Tree of GOOD and evil), who are honest and try to live their lives in an upright manner, as far as they know how to do it. But that is not enough for God to be for them because they are still for the most part worshipers of Baal and do NOT keep God's commandments.

The sad thing is they tolerate the terrible evils that are going on this country; they accept them though they would not do the same things. And because of their closing their eyes to these evils they will also experience the horrors of the Great Tribulation (Leviticus 20:4-5; Ezekiel 9:1-11; 14:12-21).

dSatan's spirit influences the total of society and the world as he did through Hitler the German people (Revelation 12).

A personal case in point: my older brother told me some little time before he died (having come from the same conservative background as me) that he thought a woman should have the right to do as she wishes with her body, meaning the right to abort her unborn child. I was shocked!

In addition to the use of the websites and the recorded works of Mr. Armstrong, Jesus Christ is also using and helping Mr. Mendiola and me in trying hard to reach out to AID and HELP our own people, the remnant of the Philadelphia Era; while also trying to WAKE UP the many thousands of Laodiceans and the few yet in Sardis via writings of the Philadelphia Remnant Magazine, Pastor’s Comments, two-full page writings in each publication of the Journal (Big Sandy, Texas, Church News Paper), etc.

Christ is using us with the aid and support of the faithful members of the Church of God, Faithful Flock, before the darkness of the night closes in on this age (John 9:4), and no more help can offered to them. Scripture makes known the unrepentant then will be headed for the Great Tribulation.

At the same time it is well realized we, the Church of God Faithful Flock, cannot accomplish anything of ourselves. It is only as Jesus Christ chooses to use us that anything we do can be constructive and beneficial to anyone (John 15:5). Without Him, like a dead fish floating on top of the water our efforts will be futile.

Scripture indicates this will be a make or break situation for the Laodiceans and Sardis! Unless they repent and then endure faithfully to God unto death during this horrible soon-coming time, it will be all over for them (Revelation 3:16, 19).

In contrast, all of the peoples of Israel have NOT had their opportunity, and regardless of the horrible deaths they will experience, they will have their opportunity for salvation in a future time either in the Millennium or in the GWTJ.

Millions of them will be liberated from slavery and then be brought back to the Promised Land of ancient Israel and begin to experience the love of God that He has for them.

This is the future we are to look forward to under the loving caring compassionate governmental rule of Jesus Christ for His beloved people, Israel.

Brethren, hopefully we can grow to the point of having the right balance in compassion and love for our kindred peoples (nations of Israel), while also trying to point them to the RESTORED WORKS of God’s late apostle and the Elijah that Jesus Christ enabled us to have in this end-time on our websites with the hope that some will read, hear, and repent.

Mr. Armstrong has often said in some of his hard-hitting broadcasts that all those who would hear and repent before God and Jesus Christ could be protected from the Great Tribulation.

While thinking about these horrendous times soon to befall the Church and the House of Joseph, should be enough to fill us with feelings of great compassion with hope and prayer that many will yet repent and be protected.

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