Articles for the Benefit of Members and Ex-Members of the WCG

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8
Faith or Farce in the WCG?

The leaders of the Worldwide Church of God are fast destroying true faith. In its place they are providing doubt and uncertainty. Your sure spiritual foundation has been substituted with a counterfeit that will give way under stress.

As I have reported previously, the WCG is drifting downstream spiritually, clinging to bits of driftwood as if they were life rafts. It has embraced a so- called New Covenant theology which is nothing more than old antinomianism dressed up in a new suit. Palming this off on members as new freedom, new enlightenment, and the way forward, WCG leaders have received great acclaim from evangelical quarters for their about-face. It has been hailed as the greatest turnaround of an organisation in evangelical history.

While it appears to many outside Worldwide as a massive step forward, the truth is the reverse. It is six steps back! It is perhaps the fastest spiritual retrogression of any church in history! It spells disaster.

It indicates a total denial of Christ - not acceptance, as church leaders portray these changes.

Bedlam reigned in Corinth at one time, as the NT letters of Paul to that church portray. That confusion was a result of people looking to human leaders instead of to Christ. They were idolising and following men - their spiritual mentors. This transfer of loyalties happened inconspicuously, subtly. It was not a conscious denial of Christ, but it occurred nonetheless.

God means you to listen to those He uses as His mouthpieces. However, the presence of the enemy within poses a big problem. False apostles gain precedence and so many immature believers cannot distinguish between the false and the true, so what God is doing is seriously undermined. This is what is happening on an alarming scale in the Church today. Demonic apostasy is marching on, claiming countless victims!

WCG Folks Commit Idolatry!

The spiritual stature of any group is dramatically influenced by the spiritual tone of its leaders. While members may think they can immunise themselves against leadership apostasy, they will not be totally unaffected by them if they do not actively oppose their teachings. To be passive about evil or heresy is toleration by default of the evil or heresy. There is no middle ground in spiritual warfare.

A person who goes to church each week and passively listens to a false minister will be influenced subconsciously by things he says. Demons exert powerful psychological influences via suggestion and implantation in the subconscious mind. While you may think you are recognising errors in what is being said, you are also being subconsciously disaffected by the tenor of the spirit that lies behind such words. A negative spirit is absorbed, even if some of the spirit's intellectual errors are recognised and rejected. This is why bad company corrupts good character (1 Cor 15:33). Spiritual influences are spiritually transferred, and are not always readily discernible. Certainly, they are not discerned by the undiscerning.

There are many undiscerning Christians! Discerning of spirits is a spiritual ability. It is a gift of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:10). It is not automatically given at water baptism. It comes with time and maturity, and by supernatural impartation - a fact which is recognised only by a minority. Few true believers have spiritual discernment in sufficient measure! The result is to be seen all around - widespread deception in the Church.

The WCG is effectively a humanly run system. It is headed by a man - Joseph Tkach. He is supported by other men under his overall authority. Two prominent individuals in the set-up are Greg Albrecht and J Michael Feazell; clever men, men with formidable speaking abilities and mental prowess. But don't forget that God does not primarily work through the avenue of human intellect and ability. He works most powerfully where there is human lack and consequent submission to His Spirit. Paul wrote:

And I brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Cor 2:1-5, NKJV).

The faith of most in the WCG is in the men who lead their church. This is idolatry, but few perceive it of course, because such idolatry is very subtle. It takes a good 'dose' of discernment to see it. It is something which happens in the spirit. In the flesh all this loyalty seems very right. In the spirit, it is all very wrong.

Undiscerning folks will object. They will contend that church-ordained ministers are given to prepare the body of Christ and help mature it. But notice what Paul actually said about ministry gifts God has established:

Valid Ministries

And He Himself [Christ] gave some to be apostles, some prophets [whom the WCG reject], some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry [notice that ALL disciples or believers are meant to minister, not just an élite few - 'ministry' is a misnomer when it is applied to a hierarchic authoritarian body which rules over the spiritual lives of other believers], for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith.... That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting... (Eph 4:11-14, NKJV).

On the one hand, Paul is saying that there are five ministry 'types' (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or shepherds, and teachers) to help build up the body. On the other hand, he is warning of false ministers who are cunning, and who deceive by their craftiness. This craftiness is a faculty of the human intellect.

Whether they deliberately intend to deceive is a debatable point. I believe a deceived person doesn't know he is deceived, so he will genuinely think he is doing what is right while he is promulgating error. The devil has got him hooked, so he is a dangerous spiritual implement in that deceived condition. But, his deception is there because he refuses to love the truth and so be saved (2 Thes 2:10), so he is not blameless.

For this reason [because they do not love the truth] God will send them [false Christians] strong delusion, that they should believe the lie (2:11).

The first step to take to escape this delusion, is to recognise the full extent of the ministry gifts in the body of Christ. Otherwise spiritual atrophy will occur. In Corinth, brethren were not recognising the true ministry gifts to the Church in the right way. They were looking to men as men, instead of discerning the spirituality in what they were saying, irrespective of personality, personal charisma or charm, or human ability.

The result of their failure to discern spiritually was disaster in the Church:

...many are weak and sick among you and many sleep (1 Cor 11:30, NKJV).

They did not discern properly the full extent of the body of Christ (1 Cor 11:29). Nor did they have due respect for the high price that Jesus paid by His death to release them from the penalties of their sins.

There is a corollary of this in the WCG today.

WCG 'Ministry' Farce

In the WCG, outside apostles, prophets and evangelists are downplayed, if not totally ignored. Their influence is not allowed to filter through to WCG members. The reason is obvious to those who understand the prevalent psychology in the WCG. It is important for leaders to keep up their mind-control over their subjects to maintain stability and unity.

Unity is thus achieved humanly. It is the product of causing people to all believe the same thing (or near enough) and to go along with leadership decisions. Thus, the church all goes nicely in the same direction.

The only problem is, it is not done via the Spirit. The ship is steered by its human captain, even against the wind of the Spirit, if need be.

As long as members are spiritually pliable in the hands of their mentors, as long as they go along with the leadership's direction and don't rock the boat, everything seems to be fine. Those who try and rock the boat are easily ostracised. It is not hard for leaders to get members to treat them as troublemakers. The psychology is already directed that way anyway. Thus, unwelcome challenges can be easily deflected and the ship can remain under the control of its captain.

The undiscerning do not see that this is the problem. The ship is not being directed by God, but by the man in charge and, to a lesser extent also, by the 'side-kicks' who comply with his wishes and who also encourage compliance from members.

The set-up becomes a replica of the Babylonian model where hierarchy is established under one man who effectively lords it over his subjects. Nimrod was the first to conquer men in this way - as a 'hunter' he subdued his subjects (Gen 10:9). They were forced to acclaim him in much the same way as Roman Emperors established themselves as gods, and the Catholic Pontifex Maximus is regarded as supreme.

In the WCG, an almost identical papal system is in place. It is not what Paul was describing in Ephesians 4. Hence we have ended up with this parody of what Paul described to the Ephesians:

The former Pastor General of the WCG gave Joseph Tkach as 'apostle' over all, his henchmen Albrecht and Feazell under him as 'prophets', and in turn other approved ministers as evangelists, pastors and teachers to psychologically condition God's people to remain subservient to them, so that the part of the body of Christ under Tkach's control may be manipulated until it achieves uniformity in Tkach's faith and becomes his vassal... Then none of them will notice that they have continued to be infants, that they have been tossed back and forth by Tkach's doctrinal waves, or blown here or there by WCG winds of change; nor will they notice that they have been subdued by the cunning and craftiness of WCG leaders in their deceitful schemes... (Parody on Eph 4:11-13, as has occurred in the WCG).

All this is a flagrant violation of the principle which should be exerted at all times in spiritual governance. Jesus said to His disciples:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you (Matt 20:25,26, NKJV).

The WCG system of government has been a farce from the beginning, and it is still making mockery of true spiritual leadership. The present system is satanic and allows great spiritual abuse to take place.

True Ministry Gifts

In Paul's account to the Ephesians (4:11-13), he lists apostles first. The WCG falsely claimed at one time that Herbert W Armstrong (HWA) was an apostle. In fact, they intimated that he was THE apostle, the only one on earth, and the only one guided by God. That massive lie was believed because WCG members knew no better.

The acclaim that HWA received was colossal. It gave him such pre-eminence that those under him were afraid to challenge his decisions. Fear became a dominant factor governing their behaviour. But this was fear of man, not fear of God. Few saw it, however, for what it was.

Present members under Tkach's leadership have a similar reverence for him. Some say it is because of the sanctity of the office. But the office he holds is not sanctified. It is humanly established. Although he does not lay claim to being an apostle as such, but claims the title Pastor General, he is treated in much the same way as if he were.

Apostles

True apostles are recognised by certain indicators - they are spiritual indicators. They are evidence of the presence and working of the Holy Spirit in power. Tkach displays none of these. Paul described the evidence of his apostleship thus:

Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, IN SIGNS AND WONDERS AND MIGHTY DEEDS (2 Cor 12:12, NKJV).

At the Jerusalem Conference:

.... all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many MIRACLES had worked through them among the Gentiles (Acts 15:12, NKJV).

Miraculous testimony is true testimony when people are healed in Jesus' name, and when demons are cast out in Jesus' name. When the gospel is preached with this demonstration of miraculous power it is a real witness. This sort of gospel-preaching goes on around the world today. Signs and wonders follow those who believe, just as Jesus promised in Mark 16:17 and 18.

You only have to trace the activities of such international evangelists as Reinhard Bonnke in Africa, India and the Far East, or David Hathaway in the former USSR, or Terry Law in China and Russia, (amongst many) to see that God's power didn't stop being manifested after the first century. At the apostolic preaching of the gospel today, the same signs - and greater, as Jesus promised (Jn 14:12) - are still seen.

But this apostolic anointing has never been a feature in the work of HWA or any of his successors in the WCG. There has been so little evidence of he working of the Holy Spirit, that you would be forgiven for thinking that the WCG's gospel was a neo-political message.

It is quite apparent that the WCG is a human work, not based upon faith in God and reliance upon the Holy Spirit, but based upon following the dictates of men.

Prophets

Alongside apostles, Paul lists prophets. These are ones who have always acted as intermediaries between God and His people when they have veered away from Him. The Old Testament contains the stirring accounts of fiery characters whose zeal for righteousness and justice earned them opposition from their compatriots.

Prophets were 'sent' to correct and restore. That is the function of their ministry. It is probably the least understood ministry gift to the Church. In fact, prophets are so unwanted that they are persecuted and stonewalled today, much as their predecessors were in the past.

No one likes to receive correction. But correction is fundamentally central to their ministry. Correction, when received, gives direction. And the purpose of the prophets' task is to direct the people to their God and give the people His direction.

Restoration can come out of the prophets' work, but it depends on the malleability of his hearers. Restoration didn't happen to Israel, because they were not receptive to the prophets' witness. That did not make the prophets' work fruitless, although it might seem to have been that way. The words of many prophets to Israel remain for us today, so the Church need not make the same mistakes of hard-heartedness (1 Cor 10:11).

The prophets are a feature of God's Work on earth today, but they are not present in the WCG. The leadership of that church expel them. Few churches recognise true prophets. False prophets get more acclaim than ones God uses, but that is not surprising. History is only repeating itself.

As I have said in previous articles, the prophetic office has not ceased to be. Paul stated that God HAS placed prophets in the Church alongside apostles. They complement the work of evangelists, pastors and teachers. Since the Church has not yet reached maturity yet, they are around, as Ephesians 4:11-13 makes clear.

The right response to a prophet's claim is to listen to him, hear him out (or read his writings, just as you would read the biblical prophets), weigh up what you read by the Word of God, and turn your life around in accordance with his God-given words. If you reject him without believing he could be moved by the Holy Spirit, you will reject the value of his words before even hearing them. You are not just rejecting him, you are rejecting the One who sent him (Matt 10:40).

Evangelists

The WCG claimed to have many evangelists in its ranks. However, there is a marked difference between their activities and those of the evangelists you can read about in the NT. Like apostles, in front-line ministry, an anointing from God accompanies evangelistic outreach.

The faith of evangelists permits miraculous events to take place. Go to any number of evangelistic campaigns today (generally in the non-Sabbatarian sector of the Church) and you will witness an array of miraculous evidence. This is evidence of Jesus' presence. He does not just back up those who have their intellectual appreciation of the Bible doctrinally correct. How many are there in that category anyhow? None. He backs up those who exercise FAITH IN HIM. This is the operative factor.

However, you can't have faith in Him if you are grossly deceived and being deceitful with the Word of God. Faith to work miracles comes from submission to His Spirit. It is a living, active faith. One which little children have in their loving parents.

If you want to see an example of this living faith at work, take a look at Benny Hinn or Reinhard Bonnke. They are only two out of many. But they have learned to trust Jesus, take Him at His Word and expect Him to be with them as they preach. When a man's heart is sold out on God, when he is prepared to trust Him in this child-like way, miraculous power manifests. Jesus is at work. He rewards many according to their faith.

That is not to say that faith is the only factor which triggers the miraculous in gospel crusades. The expectancy of the people is one thing; the sovereign will of God is another. But it is certainly true that God will work where people will let Him. Faith is the avenue of His working. Submission and expectancy welcome His presence. Rebellion and unbelief push Him away.

Faith Vacuum in WCG

Tragically, doubt and unbelief have been fostered in the WCG for as long as I can remember. Decades ago when healing evangelists such as Kathryn Kuhlman, Jack Coe and William Branham were at work, the Armstrong organisation was busy countering any impact such miraculous testimony might have on their members. They published articles condemning the testimonies of healings at revival meetings such as these. They were labelled as spurious, faked or counterfeit. Aspersions of doubt were cast on them, and the doubt stuck!

It always does. It is easier for the devil to sow seeds of doubt than it is for believers to live up to that name. Doubt will destroy and annul the power of the Spirit as fast as it took Peter to sink at the sight of the waves (Matt 14:30).

It is recorded by Luke that one of the things Jesus prophesied was a dearth of true faith on earth at the end of the age.

When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8, NKJV.)

His question was rhetorical. And the question was not posed for the benefit of the world, to whom many Christians think He was directing it. All the Bible is recorded for the benefit of His followers.

The inference is that He won't find faith on earth amongst His people as He would like. Faith is the wonderful characteristic which is most pleasing to God (Heb 11:6).

Why is faith destroyed shortly before His coming? You should know the answer to that by now.

If you have missed the reasons, here are some we have mentioned:

1. False ministers have taken the place of Christ in the Church.
2. They have promoted heresies which erode the foundation of faith which is in Jesus as your Guide.
3. The true ministry gifts to the Church have not been acknowledged as they should. Apostles and prophets have been shunned and replaced by humanly appointed offices in a hierarchic structure.
4. The power of God has been denied. Several avenues of the power of God are the gifts of the Spirit which the WCG denies.
5. Faith has been replaced by rebellion and unbelief.

What Should You Do?

If you want to move on spiritually, you won't be able to do that in the present spiritual climate in the WCG. Bad company corrupts good character.

Doubt and unbelief are contagious!

You need to find a positive spiritual environment where believers meet together and EXPECT Jesus to show up, not just the minister. Dry, staged meetings, devoid of the Spirit, and deficient in miraculous testimony are evidence of demonic erosion of real faith.

It's no good just going to church, to sit and hear virtually the same old thing rehashed in a slightly different way. You need to take part. That's what the early Church did. They met in each others' homes. They fellowshipped. They didn't just sit in a congregation and listen to a minister usurping Christ's office, droning on and keeping them in spiritual captivity. They were free to express themselves as the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them individually.

Jesus commands you, if you are passively giving your support to the WCG or its equally destitute off-shoots, to fill your jar with oil. Don't fill your head with the ramblings of a demented cynic who makes doctrinal dissertation an exercise of rationalisation. Fill yourself with the love of the Father, the power of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Remember:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Tim 4:1, 2).

How accurate and perceptive the Spirit is, knowing and predicting long before our time!

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears... they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables (2 Tim 4:3, NKJV).

Who can dispute that the WCG leaders have fallen into this pit of self-condemnation? WCG leaders choose to believe what they do. They have turned away their ears from the truth they knew, to embrace popular heresies. Why? What lies underneath, in the spirit? Paul answers:

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers... unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers... despisers of good ... headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but DENYING ITS POWER. And FROM SUCH PEOPLE TURN AWAY (2 Tim 3:2-5, NKJV).

That is what you should do. It's not my advice. Paul gave it long ago. It is the only sure way to be saved from the perdition to engulf the wicked.

Malcolm B Heap

Further Reading

More about satanic inroads into the Church is covered in the booklet, Apostasy in God's Church. Write to the address below. If you are able, please send a donation to offset our costs (about £2.00 per publication). Thank you.

Listening to God. Do you know how to hear the voice of God? He will speak to you if you are open to Him. You need to hear Him. This publication is available for £2.00 from Midnight Ministries, PO Box 29, Aylesbury, HP17 8TL, UK. (A video, Hearing From God is also available. When requesting this, state which system; i.e. NTSC, PAL, or other.)

Who Is The End-Time 'Elijah'? You will be surprised to know the extent of the working of God today. This booklet will open your eyes! For your copy, send £2.00 to the above address.