By
Art Braidic
and
Terry Moore

This booklet is published by the Eternal Church of God with permission of the authors. This booklet is not to be sold. It is provided free to the public as an educational service by the author and the publisher.

© 2004 Eternal Church of God ®
All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

Foreword

    This booklet was originally composed in 1992 and later revised in the year 2000. It was written to help people make a decision regarding the great apostasy that occurred in God’s Church beginning in the late 1980's. Although some of the issues addressed in this booklet refer to events of that time, many of its principles still apply today. The Eternal Church of God has decided to make this publication available as we continue to learn from the lessons of this tragically historic and prophesied event.

Will Christ
Intervene
to Correct
the Church

I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against (you)
with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 2:16

    While experiencing a terrible apostasy, caused by the leadership of the Worldwide Church of God, many members were faced with an agonizing choice. How could they continue to uphold the organization they supported for decades with time, effort, and money, when their church no longer taught the truth?
    It became obvious that there was an agenda by the new leaders to become typically Protestant, or as they explained it, to “become mainstream.” There was a desire for approval or “accreditation” by the outside world for the Church and college, and for this reason, the leaders began changing doctrines in order to make their beliefs appear in line with other churches.
    Members were told to call themselves “born again Christians,” a Protestant catch phrase by which Evangelicals and others signal one another their faith. The Holy Righteous Law of God was being minimized. One leader went so far as to define God’s law as “...only a single straw, in one brick, of an entire building.” It was taught that Sabbath keepers and Sunday keepers were the same body, and there was a shocking emergence of the belief in the trinity.
    A smug spirit of superiority became all too easy to detect in sermons given at Church headquarters, and with this also came bashing of the former leader, Herbert Armstrong, who had given his entire life to preaching the true Gospel. New leaders condemned and ridiculed this man of integrity who was obviously used by God to do a magnificent and wonderful worldwide work.
    Congregants wondered, what should they do? Should they leave the Church they had been associated with for so long, or not? The answer seemed to hinge on the one single question: Will Jesus Christ intervene and correct the Church? If Christ was going to intervene and correct the Church, there would be no reason to take action. But – will He?
    This becomes one of the single most important questions of this time. Will Jesus Christ intervene and correct the Church? Or, is it right to separate from God’s Church when it goes into apostasy? Should Church members stay, and wait for Jesus Christ to straighten things out? This booklet is carefully, and prayerfully, written in the hopes of putting this question into proper perspective.

The Example of the Liberal Era
    Anyone who has been a member of the Worldwide Church of God for very long remembers the case of the liberal era. During this time, the leader of the Church, Mr. Herbert Armstrong “seemed to be getting senile.” Church leaders kept Mr. Armstrong away from headquarters. They made up a doctrinal committee without telling him, and began to make changes without his knowledge. The committee watered down healing. They turned God’s sacred Passover into the Lord’s Supper. They concocted the “Systematic Theology Project” project to determine and publish Church doctrines.
    The Church soon began to feel the results. Income began to drop, and there were fewer baptisms. The Plain Truth magazine was cut back to a newspaper type edition. Many marriages were crumbling, and some began to break up. The down turn even effected Church children, and some began to get involved with drugs and premarital sex. Finally it all culminated in an attack by the State.
    Suddenly, dramatically, and miraculously, Mr. Armstrong was brought back from the jaws of death. He came back more powerful than ever. His mind, purpose, and focus was sharper and more clear than before. He shut down the college entirely and restarted it all over again. He corrected the doctrinal wrongs. Mr. Armstrong took over the TV program personally. He wrote Our Human Potential, The Mystery of the Ages, and did more, and some would say, better work than previously. This leader, guided by Christ, put the whole Church back on track. It seemed as though Christ did intervene that time. What about now? Will Christ intervene?
    First consider some differences between that time and this. Today there is no Herbert Armstrong to lead the Church back. There is no apostle. Many within the Church have embraced the changes, and others who have leadership roles, and which do not agree with the changes are afraid to stand up and declare what they really believe.
    Still, Christ can do anything. He has all the power in the Universe. He can work any miracle. He can make anything happen. At any time, under any circumstances, Christ can intervene to correct the Church. The question for those that are faced with this circumstance now is this. Will He? Will Christ intervene to correct His body? Will Jesus Christ; the head of the Church intervene to make those things, which are so terribly wrong, right?

The Same Yesterday Today and Forever
    To answer this question, we must consider what He has done in similar circumstances. Does Christ always intervene to correct things that go wrong? Does He always intercede to correct iniquity in His people?
    Consider the example of Lucifer. He went bad over a very long period of time. He started out with the very best of starts, but over eons of time, he changed. Ezekiel speaks of Lucifer’s turn against God in the following terms:

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was the covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou {wast} perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee (Ezekiel 28:1-15).

    Lucifer was beautiful, and wise. He was perfect in many ways, but eventually iniquity was found in him. He began, slowly at first, to influence other angels. Eventually he mounted an attack on the very throne of God. And, as this played out, he infected millions of angels. Lucifer was ultimtely the cause of unthinkable suffering and damage. The destruction he brought to the Universe was unparalleled.
    When catastrophe strikes on the earth, newscasters often put it in terms of the number of lives affected or the dollars it all will cost. In the case of Lucifer, an entire 1/3 of the angel’s lives were affected. This could have amounted to millions or even billions of angels. And, these spiritual lives were worse than destroyed. These great spirit beings were permanently perverted, forever made angry and hostile.
    The ecological damage to the Universe was enormous and beyond estimation in modern day dollars. Planets were pulverized into Dust. Entire galaxies were destroyed. Immense, gaping black holes were created in the Universe. The damage was unimaginable.
While all this occurred, God let it continue to its conclusion. God could have intervened at any time along the way. It was not done secretly, or off in some corner. It did not catch God by surprise. God is omniscient. He knew every thing that was going on, but did not intervene. God is always in complete control. But -- why wait? Consider this possibility. He wanted to see WHERE it would go! He also wanted to see WHO WOULD GO!
    Next, there was a new creation. God restored the Galaxy. He recreated life, this time warm-blooded. Then He made man and woman in His own image. That same terrible being, now called Satan, came to the human creation, and began to corrupt man and woman. And surprisingly God allowed them to be corrupted by Satan. God was aware of this possibility. He was not taken off guard. He could have stopped it at any time. But God did not intervene!
    God also took Israel out of Egypt, and made them a great nation. They became so great, their splendor was known around the world, but in their wealth and prosperity, they became corrupt. God sent them prophets toward them, but the children of Israel killed and cast out these true servants of God. Again – God did not intervene to correct the problem.
    Eventually the kingdom of Israel split apart. The Tribes of Israel to the north changed the Holy Days, and began to worship false gods. Once again, the true God did not correct the problem by making the Israelites do the right thing.
    God did ultimately punish Israel, however, and they became lost to history. The Jews, to the south, remained faithful for about 100 years more, but later they became as sinful as Israel to the north. God also warned the Jews, but did not force them to change. He did not intervene to make their wrong right.
    The Jewish people went into captivity for their wrongdoing, but were eventually able to return to their homeland. This was not God correcting those people, and bringing them back to Him, however. They were not restored to a powerful leadership position. They had rejected God, and He had rejected them. God brought the Jews back to the promised land to fulfill prophecy. The Eternal had foretold that Christ would come from Judah.
Jesus Christ was prophesied to come from this land, and be of these people (Genesis 49). The Jews were taken back to enable the people to exist in that land where the law would be taught, so there would be the proper place and environment for the promised Messiah to come. When Christ did appear, the Jews were not a restored people. They were so far off base, they did not even recognize their creator. They killed Him. They murdered their own God!
    In the proper time, after Christ performed His redemptive work, God raised up the Church. And, in this context, it must be understood that Christ left the physical Church of Israel, divorcing them, and after His death, He became espoused to the new spiritual Church of “True Israel.” At first the New Testament Church was zealous and experienced tremendous growth. This occurred even with repeated attacks from the Jews. Problems later came up from Gnostic teachers and through all of this, the Church remained zealous and on track.
    Satan knows the best and only real way to corrupt the Church, is to go inside, and inspire false teachings. When persecution comes from outside the Church, it tends to draw the people closer. When the trouble comes from inside the Church it tends to divide, and separate the people of God. For this reason all continued well in the early Church until false teachers entered the congregations. Once this occurred, apostasy developed, and then the Church began the process of fragmentation and division. Christ taught His followers this important truth. Matthew writes:

And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; every city or house divided against itself shall not stand (Matthew 12:25).

This is exactly what occurred to the early Church. It became divided. The brethren could no longer speak the same thing. The fellowship, trust and love began to degenerate. When this happened, did God intervene to correct the problems in the Church? Did He straighten everything out? He did not!

The First Century Church
    It is important to focus on the first century Church because their era is very much like the last era. There is a parallel in that the early Church lost its first love. Similarly, the last era becomes lukewarm toward the things of God (Revelation 3). One of the main purposes for recording the history of the first era of the Church was so that we, at the end, will learn from the mistakes made in their time. This history was written for us to learn from. Notice exactly what was going on in that first era, it will help us understand.
    At the end of the first century, of the original 12 aposltes, John was the only one still alive. At that time he found it necessary to fight against heresy that was coming from within the Church, rather than from outside. Barkley explains this in his commentary on First John. He writes:

The trouble which First John seeks to combat did not come from men out to destroy the Christian faith but from men who thought they were improving it. It came from men whose aim was to make Christianity intellectually respectable. They knew the intellectual tendencies and currents of the day and felt that the time had come for Christianity to come to terms with secular philosophy and contemporary thought. (page 5)

This is what occurred in our end time. As King Solomon said, "There is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
    The corrupting influence was coming from the new younger leaders inside the Church. They were trying to make the Church acceptable to the world. They were sincerely seeking to improve the Church, but they were leading it away from God and His truth. Did God intervene to correct these wrongs? No! God did NOT intervene. False teachings got worse and the Church fell further away from God.
    That whole first century is like the last era of the Church. There are few secular writings of what was occurring then, but many Biblical writings show us the details. Take a close look at God’s inspired word regarding, and better understand the times we live in.
    The apostle Paul prophesied what would happen to the Church. In Acts. Paul writes:

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after the (Acts 20:29).

    By 50-51 A.D. the false system was well established as Paul affirms:

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work (2 Thessalonians 2:7).

Finally, Paul was martyred and the false teaching became rampant. By 53 A.D. another gospel was being taught. Paul records:

    I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto ANOTHER GOSPEL (Galatians 1:6).
    By 55 A.D. false ministers were commonplace. They were preaching about the person of Christ, teaching that Jesus was the promised Christ, and deceiving many. The true Christ was replaced with another. Paul writes:

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him (2Corinthians 11:4).

    During the time of Paul there were even false ministers on the apostolic level. Note what God’s true apostle writes in II Corinthians:

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works (2Corinthians 11:13).

    By 68 A.D. false teaching became so rife in the Church that the apostle Peter wrote:

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction (2Peter 2:1).

    By 68-69 A.D. Peter, Paul, and the other apostles had been martyred. This led to a power vacuum that ambitious immoral men rushed in to fill. By the 70's A.D. the temple was destroyed and there was strong anti-Jewish sentiment in the Roman Empire. All this translated into a Christianity shorn from its Jewish roots.
    The last letter in the New Testament was written during the period of the 80's to the 90's A.D. Its whole perspective was looking backwards toward a time when the truth was valiantly taught. It looks back to the time of the original apostles. Jude wrote to warn believers to fight, to struggle, to hang onto what they were originally taught. Jude writes:

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus. (Jude 3).

    These new leaders, who crept in, spoke against the original apostles. They opposed the leadership that actually built the Church. And they had a spirit of smug superiority. Jude continues:

Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities (Jude 8).

    These men wormed their way into the Church. They became leaders and began to make changes, while refusing to come under the older apostolic authority.
    The apostle John lived to the end of the first century. His Churches were the last bastions of the full truth. John was exiled to Patmos. There he could write, but lacked real influence in the Church. Under these conditions, false teachers were able to penetrate the Churches of John. These men wanted to remake the Church in order to appeal to rest of the world. To do this, they had to sacrifice the ones in the Church who would strive to hold fast. Notice what John writes about one such Church:

I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. ...I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church (III John 1:9-10).

    Here a Church leader refused to accept the apostle’s authority. He loved the preeminence. He “bad-mouthed” the apostle Christ loved. He cast the true brethren out of the Church. What then, did Christ do? Did He intervene to correct the problems? Did He set the Church back on track?
    To help understand the answer to this question take note of what Jesse Hurlbut says in his famous book The Story of the Christian Church:

We name the last generation of the first century, from 68 to 100 A.D., 'the Age of Shadows,' partly because the gloom of the persecution was over the church; but more especially because of all periods in the history, it is the one about which we know the least . . . For fifty years after St. Paul's life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120 A.D. with the writings of the earliest church-fathers, we find a church in many aspects VERY DIFFERENT from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul (p. 33).

    Yes the church was VERY different. In fact, the church was not the same church! What happened? Realize that those who held fast To God’s truth had to withdraw themselves in order to do so. Eventually, only those who were NOT God’s people were left.
    Finally the Roman system came to dominate the entire church. By the 300's Rome reigned supreme, and the leadership in the west led by the pagan emperor, Constantine, outlawed Passover at the council of Nicea, and the prophecy was fulfilled that the woman began to ride the beast. The church had come full circle. It now was Satan’s church.
    As all of this took place God could have intervened to correct the problems. But He chose not to. Why? Why didn’t He intervene to correct the church?

There is a Season and a Time to Every Purpose
    In all that occurred to the first century Church, Christ could have intervened to correct the problems. But, God chose not to do so. Why? Why didn’t He intervene to make the Church right then and why not intervene now? There are two main reasons. First God wants to see what His people will do. He wants to see how we will react in the face of such trouble and pressure. A second reason is that God will fulfill His prophecy with us.

Judgment is on the Church Now
    In times of trial, God sometimes does not intervene because He wants to see exactly what His people will do. Will they succumb, or will they hold fast. Notice an important scripture recorded by the apostle John. He writes:

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and THEY FOLLOW ME (John 10:27).

    For many years we read the verse that Christ’s sheep hear His voice. We heard His voice, we understood that part, but when it said we would follow Him, we never realized that He was going to move. You see, Christ does not miraculously correct the wrongs in the Church every time they occur. Instead, when the Church rejects Him, He moves. Those who hear His voice will follow.
    The first era of the Church experienced this. In fact, every era of God’s Church experiences this. When a Church era begins, it grows and it does its work. It reaches a peak, and then declines. As the Church goes into decline, those who will hold fast must withdraw as the apostasy develops. Christ promised us that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:18). He told us that He would always be with us (Hebrews 13:5). He told us He would always provide a way of escape for us (1 Corinthians 10:13).
    Christ has intervened. He has provided ways of escape. Many are taking that way, and following His voice. What is so terribly tragic is this that thousands of the people of God are waiting for God to act. They are in a state of inactivity, degenerating, waiting to see what God will do, but all the while GOD IS WAITING TO SEE WHAT THEY WILL DO!
    As in so many cases in the past, God’s intervention is to do nothing in order to see who His true people are, and what they will do. He wants to see who will remain faithful to Him. He wants to see whom we are following. Is it men? Is it our friends or families? Is it our concern about the positions we may have? Are we more concerned about admitting wrong, or following Christ? In any, and in all circumstances He wants to know this. What will you do? How are you going to react?
    If God did intervene to correct the Church, He would not be able to see what His true people will do when faced with false teachers in our midst. God wants to see how we will react. Judgment is on the Church now, (1 Peter 4:17) and He is watching us “from a distance” as it were, to see what we will do. And, as in the case of righteous Abraham, He wants to be able to say about us, “Now I know.” He wants to be sure we will be faithful in all situations.
    Remember this important truth. We are not being prepared for salvation alone. We are being prepared for much more. We are being prepared for positions in His government, and for the unique position of being the bride of Christ-His wife.
    If we are to be a part of this elite government throughout all of future eternity, there may be potential for decisions that are not the best way according to God. He wants to know, will we accept them because it is comfortable, or will we stand up for God and His way at any cost? Would we excuse ourselves from taking a stand by saying we are just following government?
    Like the construction workers, who built the gas chambers in the Nazi concentration camps, will we say we are not guilty we were only following orders? In the minds of the workers, they were not guilty. They were only construction workers following instructions. They took no responsibility for knowing what those chambers would be used for.
    Will we be like the 1/3 of the angels who followed Lucifer? Will we excuse ourselves and follow along, being a part of what is clearly wrong to God, simply because others told us to? Or, will we stand on our own two feet and follow Christ no matter what?
    This is what God is finding out about us right now and this is why He does not intervene to make wrongs right. It is so important that He sees what we will do under these circumstances. How will we respond?

There is the Sure Word of Prophecy
    A second reason Christ will not intervene is prophecy. If Christ intervened now, He would not fulfill His own prediction of what would occur. What is happening in the Church was foretold millennia ago, and Christ will fulfill those things written in prophecy. His word will not fail. We have the sure word of prophecy and every jot and tittle will be completed.
    This present malaise had to occur; there must first be a falling away before the end time beast power is revealed. Paul writes of this stating:

Let no men deceive you by any means: for that day will not come, (Christ’s return) accept there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (2Thessalonians 2:3).

    The word ‘falling away’ is “apostasy” in the Greek, and means a ‘defection.’ This word means there will be a “defection” from the truth. To defect means to turn, and go over to the enemy’s side. This is exactly happening now, just like it did in the first century. The new Church leadership became corrupt and began to go over to the enemies’ side. They also changed the gospel to be primarily about Jesus’ life and death. Man’s destiny was changed so resurrected saints will not be God as God is, and it is now taught that God was not a family consisting of two persons, but was presented as a trinity.
    Christ also prophesied that the ministry would be corrupt at the end time. In fact, at the end, there were to be faithful ministers and unfaithful, the unfaithful abusing those who were faithful. Christ foretells this saying:

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 24:44-51).

    The Evangelist Timothy also explains how people would be seduced to believe false doctrines. They would be seduced by evil spirits, and would teach doctrines of devils. They would be hypocrites and easily lie. Notice how the bible describes our time:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:1).

    As the end of the age neared, some would actually desire false teaching. They would want preaching that pleased themselves. Various individuals would distort doctrine to enable themselves to live selfishly and carnally. Timothy continues the prophecy about our time. Notice how well this describes our age:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2Timothy 3:1-7).

    Yes, the Church leadership could produce pseudo-scholars, and with them, vast amounts of study. They could learn great swelling, and impressive words such as “Hypostasis.” They could teach such words to God’s people in place of God’s pure Word. But, as the scripture states, they are simply unable to find the plain, simple truth of God. They would rather turn away from the truth. Timothy also tells us that this would occur.
    For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2Timothy 4:3).
    These scholars would rather turn to fables than the truth of God. This is exactly what has occurred in God’s Church. The latest doctrinal changes are, no more than simple fanciful tales, which have been pawned off as truth.
    The Bible also tells us when this would happen. The leadership would also begin to distance themselves from Christ’s imminent return. They would do this by scoffing, making fun of the prophecies, accusing God’s people of having “prediction addiction.” Peter describes this perfectly when he says:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation (2Peter 3:3).

    To this end, the Church leaders sent a sermon out worldwide called “Fun with prophecy.” In this message, they said the world might have fifty to five hundred years to go before Christ’s return. They began to teach that there is no such thing as a 7,000-year plan of salvation for man.
    The leadership had to de-emphasize prophecy to accomplish their goals. People had to be influenced to stop reading the prophecies because God’s Word was shining a great big huge flood light on the Church. It shows us exactly what the new young leaders were doing.
    The whole book of Malachi is a book about the end time. It is filled with prophecies about a corrupt ministry at the end just before Christ returns. Malachi states:

For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts (Malachi 2:7).

    People were actually caused to stumble regarding the law. This was done by de-emphasizing His law and over emphasizing grace. Salvation became something “in the bag.” It was prepackaged for us. One sermon coined salvation as only “some assembly required."

    It was also taught that Christ wasn’t tempted like we are. He did not have to struggle against His human nature like you and I do. The ministry taught that the pulls of the flesh did not have any appeal to Jesus in His human form, and this had a profound effect on people’s thinking.
    The whole concept translated into people’s minds so that they thought, “it was easy for Him, but impossible for us.” The natural conclusion for most became “why fight and struggle against sin if Christ did not have to, and if we cannot be expected to be like Him?” “No matter how hard we attempt it, we cannot do what He did, why struggle?” Why try to follow in His footsteps if we cannot really keep God’s law was the natural conclusion.
    Then it was taught there was no difference between those who were in the world and those who served God. “God loved them as much as us,” they said. Malachi also addresses this stating:

Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, everyone that doth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them (Malachi 2:7).

    We were told not to think that we were exclusively God’s Church. The sacrifices we made to obey Him were not important. Our good works were mocked. God prophesied this also in Malachi:

Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? (Malachi 3:13-14).

    The new leaders began to teach that the righteous would be martyred with the others. Members were told we couldn’t be sure there will be a place of safety. There was no more emphasis on being blessed if we obey God. People then began to draw the conclusion that it was it was a waste of time and effort to diligently serve God. This was so very de-motivating. It simply led people to think, we might as well eat drink and be merry.
    Then there were smug, superior sounding sermons from the leadership. The Church was taught only scholars could really understand the Bible. The political players were raised in rank and income. Malachi cries out:

And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered (Malachi 3:5).

    But, at the same time that the ministry would be corrupt, there would exist a wonderful flip side to this coin. There were to be faithful members who were aware of what was going on. They would call each other, write to, and speak to each other at services about what was occurring. Malachi also addresses this when he says:

Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him (Malachi 3:16-17).

    Now this question arises. Do you think this can possibly refer to brethren who are inside the apostate church? The Bible makes it clear that those who are filled with joy when Christ returns are those who have been CAST OUT of the apostate church of God, not those who stay in it. The faithful will be pushed out of the church. It will be much like the case of the apostle John and Diotrophese. Being put out must happen and it will happen. The only real question is when and how it will happen.
    Isaiah sixty six speaks of these circumstances at the end. It also refers to the corrupt ministry, and Christ’s return. It refers to this time when a whole nation will be “born” into the Family and Kingdom of God. Look at the revealing prophecy about our age, and the events we now face. Isaiah prophecies:

Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth? Saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? Saith thy God (Isaiah 66:8-9).

    Isaiah also speaks of those who God will consider favorably at this time.

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word (verse1-2).

    Next, God speaks regarding His view of the corrupt religious leadership before His return. Isaiah indicts the Priests of his day, and through the duality of prophecy speaks to those ministers of our day with these words:

He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not (Verses 3-4).

    God focuses on these two groups of people, and He makes a riveting comment:

Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed (Isaiah 66:5-6).

    You can see the striking truth in these words. There will be two main groups of people in God’s Church at the end. There will be those propagating false religious worship. There will also then be those who were cast out of the church by the false teachers.
    There is no mention of those who stay in the apostasy, those who tithed to continue to support the apostasy, or those who feared to stand up and make themselves known in the apostasy. If any one stands up, and makes the truth known, they will be cast out.
    God expects His faithful believers to stand up for Him, and His way regardless of the consequences. Those who speak about God’s name will offend apostates. Those who God makes His special jewels will have to confess their belief to others. They are going to have to stand for the way of God visibly, not invisibly.
    Staying quiet and being careful not to say anything to offend others will not cause anyone to be cast out. If, however, we are fearful about confessing the true Christ, who is not part of a trinity, if we are timid about confessing the beliefs of the true God, such as the need to keep His holy righteous law, then we can stay in the church gone wrong, but God help us, we will be condemned with it.
    Look at this from the perspective of our brethren who have suffered great persecution.  Imagine all of us being raised in the first resurrection. Consider some of us meeting with those who lived during the first century. Picture talking with some of the saints from that era and asking what it was like for some of them. Can you imagine one of the saints from that age explaining that he or she faced lions, and was torn apart for the truth? Can you imagine speaking to those who endured being burned at the stake for their beliefs? After hearing them explain his or her experience, and they asking us what we went through, can you imagine saying to them, well we had to be careful. We had to be discreet, and were very careful about what we said so that no one would require us to leave the apostate church we were in? It becomes ridiculous when put in this perspective doesn’t it?
    We will all face our brethren who gave their lives for the precious truth we take for granted today. And, in that context, understand that things must happen before Christ will intervene. They are prophesied to happen. It is all happening right now, and it will continue for a short time more.
    If Christ intervened to make things in the church right, He would demean the valiant sacrifices others have made by standing up for His truth. He would also not see what each one of us would do. He would not know for sure if we will stand up for His truth, that many others died for, and which Christ died for. If He intervened to correct the church now, He would not fulfill the prophecies that pictured all this occurring until He returns.

The Lord is Not Slack Concerning His Promise
    It is obvious that all these things must occur to fulfill prophecy, but will Christ intervene to correct the church? The answer? Emphatically Yes!
    Christ will intervene! He is the head of the Church, He is responsible for it, and He will act to correct the Church. A time is coming, He says which is the restitution of all things. He will correct every wrong. Christ will destroy Satan’s governing grip on the nations. Jesus will bind the devil. He will rescue Israel, and make them His people again. He will restore the whole earth and correct every evil. He will right every wrong.
    Christ will intervene to correct the Church. He will reverse its direction and get it hot again. The Church will respond, and get all fired up and it will do a truly great work, a tremendous work. There will be vast numbers who will respond to the Church’s work.
    Christ will intervene and correct the Church. This is, and will always be an irrefutable fact. The question is not really will Christ intervene. We know He will. The real question actually is, when? When will He intervene?
    This answer will become obvious. Christ will intervene when it is too late for us to change. When all the dust settles near the end of the age there will exist three main categories of God’s people. There will be three main Church groups. There will be the Sardis Church, which is dead as far as doing a visible work of preaching the gospel to the world. God refers to them in Revelation 3:1- 6. This group is comprised mostly of independent local Churches doing little or nothing about preaching the gospel message, and consequently the light from their candlestick does not shine brightly in the world.
    There is also the Philadelphia Church. Philadelphia is faithful and promised protection from the great tribulation to come. This Church does a globe girdling work. Then an apostasy occurs. They can no longer do that same work. Still they hold fast, and continue to do as commanded, preaching the gospel with zeal in what ever limited way they can. The apostle John describes the Church:

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; ...for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee (Revelation 3:7-9).

    The implication from this verse is that this Church is comprised of those who have come in conflict with the synagogue of Satan, and God reminds them, while it looks like Satan’s church may have the upper hand now, later they will worship at your feet.
    This could not, be those who preached smooth things, safe sermons, and those who did not take a stand. The people that keep God’s word are in direct conflict with the apostates. God blesses these people for their obedience. He protects them from the tribulation. Notice how clear the apostle John makes this.

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth (Revelation 3:10).

    The third Church mentioned is Laodicea. Theirs is a different story. They are not adamant about the things of God. John describes them as follows.\

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot (Revelation 3:14-15).

    Here we see God finally begins to intervene to correct the Church. This is His intervention. Jesus Christ vividly pictures this for us.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16).

    Christ spues them out of His mouth rejecting them. He deals with their emphasis on money, prosperity and smug self-satisfaction. Notice what Christ says:

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, & poor, and blind, naked (Revelation 3:17).

    Christ spues this church out of His mouth, but where does He spue them? Notice that He spues them into the tribulation:

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see (Revelation 3:18).

    Gold is a type of character (2Timothy 2:20). Fire is a type of trial (1 Peter 1:7). Christ is telling us that these people will have to purchase their character in the trial, which is the tribulation which comes on the whole world. God steps in to correct the Church, and He rebukes them, and chastens them as he states:

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent ( Revelation 3:19).

    When God steps in to correct the Church, it is with a punishment so severe, it will cost their life. Now this itself would not be so bad, except some may not be willing to pay such a high price. Many may be too spiritually weak by this time, to do the right thing then. They may not make it. When God intervenes it is a “do or die” situation. Christ will allow Satan to wage war on those people as Christ continues to propehesy:

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17).

    The point is this. God will intervene to correct the Church. After He first permits it to become watered down. Christ will allow a corrupt ministry to come into the Church. They will be self satisfied, thinking they are righteous when in fact they are not! These false ministers will persecute the faithful ones. They will abuse the true brethren, casting them out. Then God will miraculously intervene, dramatically, and powerfully. He will not do this until the time of the tribulation however. He will then allow Satan to make war on the Church. By that time, it will be too late for some of us. There is however, still time for us now. We can still change now, individually, personally. But, by the time Christ intervenes, it will be disaster for those who wait.
    In the case of the liberal era, God brought Mr. Armstrong back for two reasons. First, it was not yet time for the last era to have prominence. Secondly, God wanted us, who would be alive in this end time, to see the fruit of those things. He wanted us to realize what God approved of, and what He did not approve of, so we would be able to make the right decision now. Our job, as the people of God, is to hold fast to what we were taught by God’s apostle. To this end, Christ recorded this reminder for those who would live and experience those things at this time. The apostle John documents this stating:

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown (Revelation 3:11).

    Staying in the apostate church makes it more difficult for individuals to hold fast to the original faith. It makes it impossible to obey God’s command to preach the gospel, and fulfill the main purpose of God’s tithe money. The church has lost sight of its commanded mission, and changed the gospel, from that of the Kingdom of God soon to come, to the life of Jesus Christ. They have eliminated any real media effort. They are charging money to the outside world for their church magazine, and offering advertizing all which is against the clear command of God in Proverbs 23:23 where He states, “Buy the truth, and sell it not.”
    Furthermore, staying in the church affects people negatively. As things become more and more watered down, as doctrines become more protestant, it tends to confuse people. Many simply have begun to accept the changes that were repeatedly pressed on them. Constant sermons on wrong subjects do confuse people. Constant reading of the same thing brainwashes minds in time. Eventually, people are affected to one degree or another.
    Doctrinal truth, the approach and reverence toward God’s Word, fellowship with others, love, trust, all these become distorted, diluted, and perverted from what God’s intention truly is for us. They are changed from what God’s purpose for the Church is.
    But, understand, it could be even worse for people staying in the apostasy. People could simply cease to care anymore. This has happened to thousands already. They have simply given up completely, and gone home.
    This is the biggest concern. As the teaching of the church now differs from what members once believed to be true, it produced an inner conflict. As the conflict intensified, it caused us to study and pray less and less to relieve the conflict. It dampened people’s faith and produced lukewarmness! God’s people cannot afford to let this keep working on them.
    So, the next big question is this. What should a person do? Does God tell us, who live at the end and experience this apostasy, what we are to do?

The Lord Will do Nothing unless He Reveal it
    Does God tell us what we are to do? The Eternal has told us what we are to do in every situation in life. He certainly tells those living at the end of the age what He expects them to do. Consider this. Does God anywhere tell us to stay in the midst of apostasy and wait for Him to intervene to correct the apostasy? No! Absolutely not! God says the very opposite.
    But some have their reasons for staying, and it is understandable. Some believe they can help others if they stay. They believe the contact they have with others will somehow help prevent others from going to deep and dark into the apostasy. If you stay in the midst of apostasy, striving to stay true, will you be able to help others stay on track, be true, and remain holy? It may seem like this is an altruistic goal, but God says the answer to this question is No! God reveals to us this principle stating:

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No (Haggai 2:11-12).

    The principle is that one of God’s holy saints cannot by association with another make the other clean or holy too. Rather, God tells us the opposite occurs. Continue to hear the words of God’s servant the prophet, Haggai as he writes:

Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It will be unclean (Haggai 2:13).

    Association with those who are unclean will not really help them and, the association may very well hurt you. It can make you unclean before God.
    All of us must understand how this principle works. Every one of us has built within a moral compass. It is our conscience. When situations come up in life, our mind automatically consults our moral compass to determine what choice we should make. The problem that we can experience comes from this: Our moral compass is a part of the subconscious mind and is neutral. Our conscience must be trained. For that reason, a person can be charmed into abandoning the settings of their moral compass. Our conscience must be educated, and this is done every time the conscious mind makes a moral decision. Each time we tell ourselves something is of value, we imprint our conscience with this value. After enough times, our conscience will be programmed with our chosen value system. We will then tend to operate automatically based on those values we have programmed into our mind.
    It is the same principle with learning to play a musical instrument. The individual must force him or herself to make a part of their body perform a certain function repeatedly over and over again. Eventually, the imprint is made in the mind and nervous system enough times that the person no longer has to force their body to perform the act, it will take place almost automatically. The individual must continue to practice and play to maintain the quality of performance however.
    Do you see the parallel? We are to drink in of God’s Word, and His Spirit daily. We are to practice living by His law every day. The more we do this, the more our mind is imprinted with His right way. We are writing God’s law in our minds and heart. Living God’s way becomes more and more automatic.
    When we spend time listening to sermons telling us the law is not important, that Christmas and Easter are just as valid as the days God commanded us to worship on, it undermines the work God is striving to do in us. We become contaminated by this, and our moral compass, our conscience will give us a wrong reading. What’s more, we will never even realize this is taking place. It is like the story of the frog in a pot of water on a flame. If the flame is increased suddenly, the frog will jump out. On the other hand, if the water temperature is raised very slowly, it goes unnoticed by the frog. The water can continue to rise ever so slowly until it reaches boiling temperature and the frog is dead. He is cooked!
    This is the plan of the new leaders of the Worldwide Church of God. They have led members to believe that they are voting. It has even been said that if no one left the church, then those who believe the truth could out vote those who wish to make the changes. This is so very misleading. Don’t be fooled. Understand that the leaders are using the frog in the water approach to get people to abandon their moral compass. The leadership is not voting with its polls that it hands out. Believe this. You have absolutely no say in church beliefs. Instead, this is simply a ploy. They are only checking to see how much of your conscience has been eroded, and how far they can now make another move toward Protestantism in your particular congregation.
    How acclimatized are you to the hot water now? Can they turn it up some more? They will turn up the temperature, and you will be affected by it. In the beginning people said they would leave if the church adopted the Trinity doctrine. The church did that, and few left. Later some said they would leave if the church changed the Sabbath. The church then taught that Sunday is as valid as Sabbath and still people sit. Some churches have moved to Sunday, and members say that Sunday is wrong. Yet, they stay. They have gotten so used to the heat of the water, they no longer notice how far things have gone.
    Don’t let this happen to you. God tells us that this would occur in prophecy. He then tells us through the prophets, and through inspired writers in His Word what we are to do at this time. God says, in such conditions that members are to separate. The Eternal says to separate all through the Bible. As Amos says:

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3 ).

    Members of God’s Church cannot walk together with this terrible raging apostasy. The church is teaching the exact opposite of God’s way and God tells us what to do all through His Word. Remember the account of Israel being brought out of Egypt. God explains that they were all baptized in the sea. Next the account says something very important for us to note.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come (I Corinthians 10:1).

    Think about this for a moment. This whole episode was written in the lives of literally millions of people, and the awesome miracles were all examples for us? What was it all to tell us? What does it all say? What is God’s message for the end time people?
    God’s message from all this is “EXODUS!” That is what this entire book is called. It is called “LEAVE.” Withdraw yourself from that which is corrupting. That is God’s message to us at the end. Will God’s people heed the message?
    Remember when you were called. You found out the truth about God and what He was doing with mankind. Suddenly you could see the religious deception in the world. It was an exciting time. Was there any question in your mind then as to what to do? What did you do when you found out that the Catholic or Protestant church you attended taught doctrines contrary to God’s Word? You found out about Easter, Christmas, crosses, heaven, and hell, and the Trinity. We knew what God expected of us then. We were compelled to leave and go where the truth was taught. It was agonizing to many of us then. No one wants to minimize that. But, we all did what we knew we had to do. We came out of the false religious systems we were in.
    Remember what God said about those people at the end. They would be lovers of themselves. They would be boasters, and traitors. But, what does God say to do when up against this? 2 Timothy 3:5 explains first that these people would be “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” They would deny God’s authority, His law, and sovereignty over them. Then Timothy tells us what to do, “from such turn away.” We must turn away from those who don’t believe what we were taught. Look how these verses continue to reveal that:

...evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them (II Timothy 3:13-14).

    Understand, we did not learn the truth we came to know from Mr. Herbert Armstrong. We learned those things from God. We learned them through His servant, Mr. Herbert Armstrong. Hold fast to what we were taught by God, and turn away from those who would change these things, as Paul states:

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them (Romans 16:17).

    This does not mean, as some have suggested, avoiding going to their house for dinner, but continuing to attend with them on the Sabbath. It does not mean to avoid them socially, but continue to be taught at their feet, and to work with them in church projects, or at their church services. God’s message to us is repeatedly to withdraw ourselves from those who would teach false things. We cannot continue to mix truth and error. We must not stay where apostasy is raging. God instructs us through the Apostle Paul stating:

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us (II Thessalonians 3:6).

    The holy thing touching the unholy does not make the unholy clean. The unclean, however, touching the clean makes it unclean. Staying in an unclean environment can and will make us unclean. The people of God who do not withdraw themselves as God says to do will be the worse for it. Rather than helping others, staying in the apostasy, and the association with wrong will only hurt the individual. There is only one thing to do. We must withdraw ourselves. Paul reiterates this principle declaring that:

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself ( I Timothy 6:3-5)

    God’s message to us is repeatedly “come out of her my people.” Come out, and be separate. Painful as it may be, God clearly tells us what we must do. If our desire is to do what God wants of us, then we must withdraw ourselves.

Why Does Christ Command us to Withdraw?
    In the Old Testament Christ commanded that His people not mix the flesh of a lamb with its mother's milk, Exodus 23:19. In Leviticus He commanded

Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee (Leviticus 19:19).

    Women were not to wear what pertained to men (Deuteronomy 22:5). God considers this mixing of things that should not be mixed confusion. This holds true especially in the area of God’s truth. Isaiah makes this clear stating:

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20).

    God does not want us to be part of such confusion. The reason is of course that we will be affected greatly by this. God wants us to draw clear, bold lines between right and wrong in every case. As Haggai also explained to us, contact with that which is unholy will influence us in a negative way. We will not make the unclean holy; rather the unclean will "dirty” us. We could easily become affected again by wrong beliefs, as Peter states.

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning (2 Peter 2:20).

    We should do all we can to distance ourselves from that which corrupts. To this end, we are commanded to NOT be united in any way with such people, or such teachings. Attending church with them, tithing to them, reading their literature, hearing their sermons, and fellowshipping with those with corrupt beliefs is certainly being tied or yoked to them. This Christ condemns. Paul instructs us with the words:

Be ye NOT UNEQUALLY YOKED together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14).

    Instead, we are to follow Christ. Some believe that they should stay in the apostasy because that is the church in which God placed them. For those who think that way, consider this. Christ is no longer in that church. They have rejected Him. The church worships another god, a different god, and the trinity, of ancient pagan tradition. He has therefore rejected them. He is on the outside looking in. He is knocking at their door, trying to get their attention to show them the need to repent and change. The apostle John may refer to this very time, saying:

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20).

    We are to follow Christ, and He is outside the apostate church that has joined the fellowship of the Synagogue of Satan. The Bible repeatedly shows us we are to do when faced with apostasy. Stand up for the truth of God. Confess Him before men. They will then cast you out with the other faithful. Or, simply obey God’s Word, and withdraw yourself.

A Word of Caution
    To conclude there must be a word of caution. Some are withdrawing from the apostasy at the end of the age, and well they should. They are making another mistake, however. Various ones who have come out are now, in effect, teaching what church list you are on is the important matter.
    These are those who left one church membership list only to get on another. Some seem to think that this is all that is necessary. For example, one church teaches all you need to do is support them, and you will be ensured of going to the place of safety. So many who left seem to be saying they are the only ones holding fast or doing the work and so on. The implication is that to be truly spiritual, you must be with them, and support them. This is a tragic mistake. It is a distraction. Don’t buy into this.
    The church environment we choose to place ourselves in is very important. It can influence us, and can make a difference in our lives. We therefore need to contribute where the Gospel is still being preached. We need to be where the true doctrines are upheld. We must support a work that is warning the world. We need to be where God’s law is revered. We need to be where we will be reminded we are not better than others, where we are encouraged to love and serve one another. We need to be where ministerial authority does not oppress us, and where we can contribute and be a real part of things. We need to be where we will be inspired to fear God and to seek Him daily.
    The church environment you choose therefore is very important. It will affect you spiritually. For that reason, I hope you will consider the Eternal Church of God, and come help us preach the gospel, warn the world of what is to come, and hold fast to the original faith, striving to love and help others.
    But, once you choose the Church organization you wish to support, no matter which one it is, understand what is far more important. It is this: How do you live your life? Are you really striving to live like Christ lives? How each one of us lives is truly the important thing, far surpassing what corporation we are associated with.
    We are in a very unique period of time. It is the lull before the storm. It is a time to show God who we really are, and what we really want out of life. We must, therefore, use this time to clean up our act. We are to be about ironing out the wrinkles left in our character. In order to marry Christ when He returns, we are to be working to get that extra oil, God’s Holy Spirit, while there is still time left.
    Realize Jesus Christ will not intervene to correct the church now, but He will intervene later to correct His Church, and also the entire world. Of that you can be absolutely sure. When He comes to intervene, however, it will be too late for us to change. Right now He is keeping hands off to some degree for the fulfilling of prophecy as He said He would. He is watching us to see what we will do and right now there is still time for us to change. There is time to separate ourselves from that, which is evil. Time to really focus on the Kingdom of God. There is yet time to focus on His righteousness.
    Use this time that is left to get closer to Him, to prepare ourselves for His incredible miraculous intervention in mankind’s affairs. Really seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. Practice living as He lives in preparation for His soon and wonderful return.