Pastor’s Comments March 27, 2009

Then He (Jesus) took the CUP, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; . . .” And He took BREAD, gave thanks and BROKE it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is MY BODY which is given for you; do this IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.” Likewise He took the CUP after supper, saying, “This CUP is the New Covenant in My BLOOD, which is SHED for you” (Luke 22:17, 19-20).

How often have we seriously dwelt on the above Scriptures with YOU AND ME in mind as to the wonderful meaning of the symbolism of the wine and bread in mind with the reality of each one understood?

adly, the United Church of God, and the Church of God, International Community, have lost their understanding of what the symbolic meaning is of the BREAD we are to eat during the Passover service in memory of what Jesus Christ endured in his final hours of human life.

In contrast, God’s late apostle and the promised Elijah to come in this end-time, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, wrote the following:

The Plain Truth About Healing, 1979 Publication, Page 47, “. . . To say there is no such thing as Physical Sin, as has been said by self-professing intellectuals, is not intellectual—it is rank STUPIDITY, IGNORANCE OR WILFUL PERVERSION OF PLAIN SIMPLE TRUTH.”

During the last year of his life, Mr. Armstrong wrote briefly about this subject:

Mystery of the Ages, Pages 211-213, Mr. Armstrong, Jesus Beaten for Our Healing

“. . . This indescribable scourging was endured that believers might be healed from physical transgression [physical sin] sicknesses or disease (Isaiah 53:5; I Peter 2:24). What a terrible price our own very Maker paid that we might, by believing, be healed. Yet nearly all professing believers totally ignore what their Savior provided for them, and instead of relying on Him, put their faith in human doctors, drugs, medicines and knives.”

NOTE: Physical transgressions of God’s natural laws have a physical penalty we pay – that is termed physical sin. I Corinthians 11:29-30 – by not discerning the body of Jesus Christ that was beaten to pay the penalty for us can either bring sickness or an early death according to the writing of the apostle Paul.

There are those who bring up the argument that Mr. Armstrong was under a medical doctor’s care and also took medicines and blood transfusions some little time before he died. Not being there at the time I do not know.

NOTE: Whatever he might have done, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong knew that when he himself did accept some things offered by the doctor that attended him that it was only an aid—not a healing. Only God through Jesus Christ could heal and he knew that! He had no real faith in the doctor he had or what the doctor gave him to take for his healing –only an aid.

This could be likened to anyone wearing eye-glasses or diabetics taking insulin (something the body no longer supplies). Neither will heal them; they are only crutches to use until their healing takes place – only an aid.

In his booklet, The Plain Truth about Healing, 1979 Publication, Mr. Armstrong tried hard to show the balance between what the doctors can do for members and where to draw the line in healing. Members are encouraged to review the booklet.

( The Plain Truth Personal from the Editor, Herbert W. Armstrong, December, 1967)

It is God's will that we be IN HEALTH (III John 2). God intended us to obey His laws -- His physical laws that operate in our bodies for good health as well as His Spiritual Law. Yet He knew our weaknesses and rebellious nature. When we repent of breaking His Spiritual Law and transgressing against Him, our loving and merciful Father has provided a way for removing the penalty -- through Jesus' sacrifice, paying the penalty in our stead.

In like manner, when nature's laws have been broken, this is God's instruction to those who have become His begotten children:

"Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and THE PRAYER OF FAITH shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (James 5:14-15).

Notice important specific points in that instruction. First, it is addressed to, and pertains to those who have become God's own begotten children -- those who ARE Christ's -- and in Romans 8:9 it is made plain that ONLY those who have, and are being LED BY, in daily living (verse 14) His Holy Spirit, are Christ's. Next, it says the prayer of FAITH shall save the sick. But James also says (chapter 1:6-7) that if one's faith wavers, he will not receive the answer. Yet also, in the "faith chapter" of the Bible, Hebrews 11, we read this: "he that cometh to God must BELIEVE that He IS, and that He is a REWARDER of them that diligently seek Him" (verse 6).

And again, what we ask of Him we receive BECAUSE we keep His Commandments, and do those things that please Him (I John 3:22).

So, although God DOES HEAL, there are conditions -- we do have our part to perform.

Notice further: When the sick came to Jesus, He healed them "... that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses'" (Mat. 8:17) and that "by whose STRIPES ye were healed" (I Peter 2:24). Before Jesus was crucified, He was beaten with stripes -- paying the penalty of our PHYSICAL transgressions in our stead.

\This kind of healing -- and nothing else IS actual HEALING -- is a divine miracle, FORGIVING physical SIN -- and removing its penalty. It is a MOST SERIOUS THING, not to be taken lightly -- not to be made a mockery of by fanatical and wild public demonstrations in "healing meetings." Jesus healed -- the apostles healed -- He gave AUTHORITY to His ministers to heal -- but they did it quietly, without demonstration, as a ministry of LOVE -- not as a highly publicized circus sideshow to attract crowds.

Real healing by God's power is a matter of FORGIVING SIN -- sin against the physical body. Read Luke 5:18-26. None but GOD can forgive sin (verse 21). Doctors, therefore, CANNOT HEAL. They can work WITH nature's laws -- but that is not HEALING.

Do we, then, advise people AGAINST going to medical doctors? BY NO MEANS. Doctors have their place in this world. But the healing that God performs is NOT OF THIS WORLD.

I have answered the call of thousands, who have come to me for prayer for healing. Many HAVE been healed --miraculously -- of even cancer and an advanced case, in a hospital, of leukemia. On the other hand, many HAVE NOT been healed. Yet I have prayed with the same faith for the one as the other.

WHY are many not healed? Jesus said it is ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH. Perhaps they did not fully believe. Perhaps they were not obedient. Perhaps they should read James 4:3, where it says: "Ye ask, and receive not, BECAUSE ......" And you may read the answer yourself.

As to how many more of the many Churches of God who have accepted that same teaching, there is no such thing as physical sin, developed during the years of the administration of the apostate leader who replaced Mr. Armstrong is not known. Undoubtedly there are a number of them.

The quotes from the writings of Mr. Armstrong and my writing in this Pastor’s Comments are intended to be a REFRESHER for all of us in Church of God, Faithful Flock; it is also with a desire to try and help the many who read these writings on our website who are with other corporate Churches of God or by themselves.

It is hoped that by this writing members whoever and wherever they might be in whatever corporate Church of God will research their teachings to find what is taught by them about this vital subject and avoid those who do in order to be spared by the judgment of God by taking the soon-coming Passover in an unworthy manner (I Corinthians 11:24-31).

Approximately two years ago, I was told that by actual count there were 450 Churches of God that branched off of the Worldwide Church of God, as pastored by God’s late apostle, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.

It stands to reason each corporate Church of God has a difference in their teachings and beliefs or they would not be separated from all of the others. And undoubtedly among those teachings many of them may have accepted the same teachings as the two already mentioned in this writing, there is no such thing as physical sin!

Why did Jesus Christ give His body to be beaten before being crucified? What is the connection between the FLOGGING of His body and the BREAD that is to be eaten during the Passover Service that is to be REMEMBERED by His people?

“Behold My Servant shall prosper (Margin: reign well), He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high (where He is today). Just as many were astonished (margin: amazed) at You (margin: dumb with amazement of scorn at such an abject person, claiming to be the Messiah), so HIS VISAGE was marred (margin: disfigured from being a man) more than the sons of men (made Him lose the look of a human being, Isaiah 52:13-14).

“Surely He has BORNE our griefs (margin: literally, sickness (He was very sick, as the result of the effects of the flogging), and CARRIED our sorrows (margin: literally pain, also meaning affliction, sorrow); yet we esteemed (reckoned) Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded (pierced through) for our transgressions (Spiritual, Psalm 103:3).

“. . . He was BRUISED (margin: crushed, meaning flogged) FOR OUR INIQUITIES (physical); the CHASTISEMENT for our peace (welfare, well being) was UPON Him, AND BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED (PHYICAL SINS FORGIVEN,). All we like sheep have gone astray; we have TURNED AWAY everyone to his own [wrong] way” (Isaiah 53:5-6).

NOTE: “God has set in motion living laws, which regulate and produce good health [Spiritually and physically]. The transgression of these laws produces sickness and disease” (Quote from Mr. Armstrong).

When evening had come (after the Sabbath), they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and HEALED ALL WHO WERE SICK, that it might be FULFILLED which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying;

“He Himself TOOK our infirmities and BORE OUR SICKNESS” (Matthew 8:16-17; Isaiah 53:4).

In view of these Scriptures and the light shed on them by the writings of Mr. Armstrong, it should be realized by any truly converted member that ‘Healing is nothing more or less than the FORGIVENESS OF SIN -- the consequent removal from us of the PENALTY we have incurred -- and no human doctor, no medicine, no drug, has ever been given power to forgive sin -- whether spiritual or physical!

NONE BUT GOD CAN FORGIVE SIN! Therefore none but GOD can heal!’

Consider the depth of what Jesus Christ said to the paralytic after having healed him:

“See you have been made well. SIN NO MORE, lest a worse things come upon you” (John 5:14).

An example of physical sin in contrast to a spiritual sin: A few years a go a family in a nearby city mistakenly ate toadstools instead of mushrooms and they all died. Anyone should realize there was no spiritual sin involved—only a physical law that resulted in their death. Consider car accidents, etc. etc. Think about it!!!

When considering our past and present sins, both physical and Spiritual, all of us as true members should be filled with the same praise and expressed blessings offered to our wonderful and caring God as did the Psalmist for our being so wonderfully blessed:

“Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name! Bless the LORD, O My soul, and FORGET NOT all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who HEALS all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3).

he vital Passover for the observance of all of God’s people is now only two Sabbaths away. This is a vitally important time in the life of each and every true member of God’s true Church; just as it was with Israel at the time of the Passover in Egypt (Exodus 12:1-14; 21-24).

The Passover is the annual time of the year to once again RENEW our covenant that was made with our Father and Jesus Christ at the time of our repentance, baptism and the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit (Act 2:38; Romans 6; Ephesians 2:1-3; Luke 22:14-20; John 6:53-54).

To RENEW that covenant is much more than form—it has to do with RELATIONSHIP, believing, and living, the TRUE teachings of God and Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is the time to bring back into our memories the true meaning of what the BREAD AND WINE symbolizes by s

tudying the Scriptures related to it along with the writings of God’s late apostle (Mystery of the Ages, pages 211-213, The Plain Truth About Healing, 1979 publication).

Members MUST NOT place themselves in peril by deceiving themselves into thinking they are all right by being with groups they know are off course but justifying themselves into remaining with them because they themselves are still clinging to the original teachings.

Such Churches have become the synagogues of Satan (Revelation 3:9). To remain with them could very well take the members back into spiritual darkness along with those churches. Scripture tells us: “They do not know, nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness . . . (Psalm 82:5).

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