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WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91123
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
PRESIDENT and PASTOR
March 21, 1984
Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:
The most solemn time of the year is coming up in a few days. THINK what
it
means, especially this year, so near the END of this world.
Have we fully grasped it--the real significance--yet? This world started
with one man, Adam, formed from the ground in GOD'S image, after God's
likeness. He was formed in God's physical likeness--as to form and shape--but
he did not choose to be formed in God's SPIRITUAL CHARACTER image. Upon
Adam's decision, God shut off the tree of LIFE--God's Holy Spirit which would
have injected into him both immortal life and God's spiritual character. That
tree
of LIFE remained shut off from mankind until Christ the SECOND ADAM.
Satan had kidnapped Adam and his family which grew from him--that is,
this whole world. Deceived and swayed by Satan, Adam's world developed the
present world civilization--with its governments, systems of production,
commerce, education, religions and society. Jesus likened this world to a
building,
built on a foundation of sand, and the whole building is very soon going to
CRASH to its DOOM--and "great was the fall of it" (Matt. 7:24-27).
Meanwhile, nearly 2,000 years ago, came Jesus, the SECOND ADAM, to
start GOD'S WORLD, which the first Adam could have founded. As this present
evil world of Satan started with the ONE man, Adam, so the coming World
Tomorrow (the Kingdom of God) was founded by ONE MAN, Jesus Christ. He
said, "I will build my Church" and he started it by calling out of this world 12
students to be taught by him--called disciples.
But Satan sits on the throne of the earth, and he fought with all his
might
and cunning to prevent Jesus from building GOD'S WORLD and taking over the
throne of the earth. He tried to kill the child Jesus shortly after his birth.
He tried
to destroy Jesus in the great temptation when Jesus was about 30 years of age.
But
Jesus conquered Satan and qualified to sit on earth's throne and establish GOD'S
WORLD. Next Satan moved to DESTROY GOD'S CHURCH. During the first 50
years he turned much of the Church to a FALSE GOSPEL (Gal. 1:6-7). Satan
deceived men into becoming his (Satan's) ministers (II Cor. 11:13-15). A great
false church sprang up, called "BABYLON THE GREAT, the mother of harlots
[Protestants]."
But the TRUE Church stood, through centuries of trial and persecution. It
lost much original truth, but clung to what truth it had, retaining the true
name
"Church of God," and the Law and God's Sabbath.