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until it was positively evident not only to me, but the most
influential and highly respected evangelists in God's Church. They
urged that he be received back. And ultimately, after the real
FRUITS of that repentance had been manifested, he was restored
to power and authority, but ONLY after advice and specific urging
of those Headquarters' evangelists.
Now the FRUITS of a year and nine months are there for the
whole Church to see. Not only the evangelists and I received him
back, on real and thorough repentance, but JESUS CHRIST, THE LIVING
HEAD OF THE CHURCH, received him back, and has wonderfully and
powerfully USED him these past 21 months!
Some, apparently dedicated to the destruction of God's
Work, were, during this nightmare of Garner Ted's banishment,
circulating rumors of a POWER STRUGGLE "between the two
Armstrongs." That rumor was a LIE!
Now let me tell you some more! Garner Ted's sins were minor
compared to those of some of his accusers! For a man to blast
before the world through the public press details of alleged or
exaggerated sins on Garner Ted's part, YEARS after it happened,
after complete repentance and Christ's forgiveness, and after
Christ has USED HIM SO POWERFULLY for almost two years since
his return, is about the LOWEST act, and one of the greatest and
most dastardly sins I can imagine!
I want you to think a moment! Can you IMAGINE how much
DAMAGE Garner Ted could have done to this Work if HE had set out,
in revenge, to hurt it WHILE HE WAS AWAY? What if he had gone to
the press and alleged that the power-struggle was true (which it
was NOT) and that I had put him out to destroy him and take over
myself. But he KNEW my fear of DISCOURAGING thousands of you. And
he didn't want that any more than I. AT NO TIME was Garner Ted
disloyal to God, to the Church, to the Work, to me. His sins were
NOT REBELLION, which God says is as the sin of witchcraft.
Rebellion against God and HIS WORK is a MAJOR SIN by comparison.
His conduct at all times, when outside the Church, was exemplary,
and totally LOYAL. Not once was there any rebellion against God, or
Christ, or the Work, the Church, or me. Instead he drew closer to
GOD in real repentance, closer to his family, closer to the Church
in his mind and heart. As a result, he accepted his punishment
without a whimper, he repented and he PRAYED, and PRAYED and PRAYED
-- and he emerged a stronger, more dedicated, more USEFUL vessel
for God's Work, and the BEST AND MOST RESULTFUL WORK OF HIS LIFE
has been these past 21 months!
Shall we now condemn and throw stones -- we who live in
glass houses and have sinned ourselves -- at him whom God has
forgiven, and is now using so powerfully? Or shall we look at the
FRUITS Christ is producing through him, and have forgiveness in our
own hearts. If we forgive not, neither will Christ forgive us OUR
SINS, which are MANY!
That is my answer to the FIRST of the four categories these
dissenters have against God's Church.