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

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56
A Message to the WCG
Part 6

This publication is a message of spiritual redirection for members and ex-members of the WCG. It was first written in 1992, revised in 1994 and also in 1998. It is also available in print from the address at the end.

Re-Forming The Church
Excerpts from another letter written later during 1993.

What God has called us to do is to help deliver God's people spiritually trapped within the Worldwide. That does not encompass all the membership, as you probably appreciate. Less than half have the Holy Spirit and most are not using it. They have fallen asleep spiritually because of the soporific diet they have been fed. The spiritual environment within the WCG is stultifying.

Bobby Fischer, former World Chess Champion, was an ardent supporter of the WCG for 15 years. Like all of us who have loyally donated our money, our time and our lives to the church, he could not see what was wrong with the set-up for many years. As he grew in knowledge and understanding, however, he came to see that things were very wrong.

He slowly began to realise that the vice-like grip of the church's psychology was crippling. It promised deliverance, but brought bondage – a bondage that is imperceptible to those trapped by it.

Bobby Fischer said: "Church members shouldn't let themselves be confused. They begin not trusting in their own judgement, and then they're finished. That's a terrible, terrible thing. First, they get conducted in with a nice sweet programme, no money, everything free, free, free. And then they get sucked in, and suddenly a few lies get mixed in. They are told their human nature is wicked and these nice people who gave them all these things wouldn't be lying to them, would they? And then I think, once you start distrusting your own mind you're finished. From there you just get more and more confused. Once you think that your own mind is not your friend any more – your own conscience and your own mind is not your friend – then I think you are on your way to insanity. You have been stripped bare. All your defences are gone. You must trust Armstrong-ism, his ministers, doctrines, and organisation. Otherwise you're going in the wrong direction, and you know where that leads.

"I find Armstrong to be an egomaniac. He sitteth in the temple of God saying great things as if he were God. He apparently wants to leave his permanent mark on all he comes in contact with and can bring into submission…"

These comments were made by Bobby Fischer to Ambassador Report [see footnote at the end] many years ago while HWA was alive. Underlying Worldwide church psychology basically has not changed much since then. WCG members are still afraid to think for themselves. They will follow the leadership like lemmings, even when the leaders are wrong. That was what concerned Bobby Fischer most. Although he did not agree with some biblical teachings, that was not the reason he left the church. He said candidly: "I'm not even going to say that all the doctrines of the church are necessarily bad and that members should reject everything. That is not my point. My point is that they should be thinking for themselves…"

God Will Resurrect The Dead!

We will see some most bizarre happenings occurring in the near future. God is going to show His power through our family (and other servants of God) in order to fulfil His purposes. Then those who want to, will be able to be released. They will know where to look for spiritual guidance.

God has told us that two boys who died some years ago will be brought back to mortal life. They are going to be resurrected – or more accurately, they are going to be re-formed, because all that remains of their physical bodies will be bones.

Resurrections have happened in the past, through the ministries of several servants of God. Smith Wigglesworth was probably the most notable recent figure in this regard. However, he died in the early 1950's. The resurrections God had him 'perform' were those of people who had just died. He did not raise anyone from the dead who had been dead for years. As far as we are aware, this will be a 'first' since the time of Jesus' resurrection. But then, God promises us that if we believe, nothing shall be impossible to us.

Jesus said, "Anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (Jn 14:12).

God performs dramatic and unarguable miracles like these in order to point to the ones who are His servants. Those who controlled the WCG were not God's servants. We were thrown out of that body of believers by men who were agents of Satan (Rev 3:9). We were expelled – for doing good – by men who were jealous of the light which was in our lives and which showed up their darkness. That was the real motive behind their actions, of which even they themselves are unaware because they are so deceived by Satan.

When the predicted re-forming of dead bodies occurs, it will be a sign to you of two things:

1) That I am telling the truth to you as a prophet of God. And,

2) It will presage the need for a re-forming in the church. There is a direct physical/spiritual analogy. What happens in the physical is often a type of what God is bringing about in the spiritual.

Reform The Way You Think

For us to please God, we must walk by faith. Worldwide philosophical approaches must change. The WCG has failed to teach its members how to walk in the Spirit. It has effectively taught them legalism – something for which the scribes and Pharisees were roundly condemned!

If you are a Christian, you will love God. You will want to please Him – not yourself. You can only do so if you utilise His Holy Spirit which generates His faith within you. That faith enables you to do anything He asks. You will be prepared to lay down your own life, to do what God desires. If that faith is in you, it may be difficult – but it will not be impossible – to make any necessary adjustments to your way of thinking to get in line with God's mind.

I hope none reading this deliberately resists the lead of His Spirit. Yet, it is a fact of life that some do. Judas did. He forfeited the salvation God offered him. Others who were called did too. You can do so if you are not prepared to move forward, following the lead of the Holy Spirit.

I hope none reading this deliberately embraces error, false teaching, or purposely resists accepting some point of truth. Yet, it is a fact of life that some do. People naturally prefer to continue on the way they are used to going. Some Pharisees did in Jesus' day, and some of the followers of Jesus also failed to move forward. Many drew back at one time and rejected what He offered them (Jn 6:60-66). If we do through human weakness or ignorance, we can be forgiven. But when we recognise our failings we must be prepared to admit we have been wrong and turn around. We must turn our thinking around to come into line with God's.

Amazing as it may seem, it has been a part of God's plan to permit some people to be blinded, so that in the end, they will be humbled. Knowledge puffs up. If we all had complete truth, the world would be a 'perfect' place in one sense, but there would be a lot of arrogant, self-assertive people, too. That is the antithesis of God's spiritual design. Unless we become, in approach, like little children, we will never see the Kingdom of God.

Up until this time, there has been a place for misunderstandings – even in Christianity.

The point I am trying to make is that certain Sunday-keeping Christians are just as acceptable in God's eyes as certain Sabbath-keeping ones. The knowledge of the Sabbath is of no intrinsic value by itself relative to salvation.

What matters is not whether we understand that truth, but what our response to it is. Do we become arrogant and feel special because of it, looking down on other Christians who do not understand? Or is our approach humble, child-like, Christ-like?

A Sabbath-observing Christian is no more pleasing to God than any other. God is not looking at what is in our heads, but what is in our hearts. It all depends upon the heart – our inner response and willingness to live according to God's will as He reveals those things to us. That response is just as feasible in a Christian who does not understand the truth about the Sabbath as it is for one who does.

How Are You Made Righteous?

To put it another way, let me ask a couple of questions.

1) What is it that justifies us? Answer: faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ to atone for our sinfulness (Rom 5:1,9).

2) What is it that pleases God? Answer: faith (Heb 11:6) – faith in Jesus and in what He has done for us (Rom 5:22). Reliance upon Him. Therefore, initially, Sabbath-keeping doesn't come into it, nor the Holy Days, nor any other aspect of what we are later led to do.

Naturally, if God has opened our minds to those things, we are expected to observe them and we would be sinning if we didn't do so. But let us not assume that all of our Sunday-observing brothers and sisters are of the devil simply because they don't have this understanding. That is just not true. I have read some of the most remarkable accounts of Christian lives by those who never saw the relevance of the Sabbath or the Holy Days. (For example: Rees Howells, Smith Wigglesworth, George Mueller, Kathryn Kuhlman, and very many others.)

The truth is that no one Christian group is the True Church. The True Church is a spiritual organism which is not bound by physical, denominational, or doctrinal boundaries. In the same way, there are also 'tares' present in any group, along with the 'wheat'. Doctrine is a minor matter to God, when He is able to look on the heart. He is looking for faith in Him – which does involve obedience, as we know – but God has many ways of testing our obedience without needing to know about seventh-day understandings.

I have seen a lot of prejudice against certain 'Sunday observers' (for want of a better description) in many Sabbath-keeping Christians, especially those who have come from a Worldwide background. I know it when I see it because I used to be that way myself, but I'm thankful God has now opened my eyes to see things much differently now. I can accept Christians of any other group whenever there is evidence of the Holy Spirit at work, and I enjoy attending some of their meetings on occasion. I have gained much from doing so. I don't deny that in some there is also a reciprocal resistance on their part to accepting what we have to offer, so I don't want to paint a one-sided picture. However, I feel it poignant to explain this so we don't fall into the trap of condemning others.

We might think to ourselves, "Why on earth can't that guy see these things?! He's got such weird doctrines, he surely must be of the devil! He surely couldn't have the Holy Spirit." Not necessarily; he may well do. But the Holy Spirit may not have unlocked certain things to his mind as it has to yours. Doctrine is not the indicator of God's guidance. It is the 'fruits' of a person's life to which we must look for an indication of his conversion.

Beware Insidious Idolatry

It is very easy to slip into idolatry without realising it. That idolatry can take may subtle forms. However, though it is difficult to perceive, the effects are disastrous and far-reaching.

Idolatry has the effect of removing our eyes from Jesus, onto something else.

That happened in the WCG in several subtle ways. First, it occurred through the teaching. Truth was made more important than the Revelator of that truth. It is possible to lose sight of God – to lose sight of what He is really like – by focusing too much on the Word of God. We must never make the Word of God more important than Him!

What God desires most of all for each of us is that we enjoy a personal relationship with Him. That does not come by just reading His Word in an analytical frame of mind. It comes when we take the time to fellowship with Him. Then we can imbibe His love.

The apostle John talked about that in his letters. He concluded his first letter – which was all about love, especially loving each other – with the surprising words "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols"! Why? Those words seem totally out of context; irrelevant to the subject of love.

They are not! We can fail to perceive what Christianity is all about if we focus our attention on doctrine and biblical knowledge alone. Unless that stimulates us into putting on the mind of Christ – His love – we are committing idolatry. Our idol has become the words of God, rather than the living Word of God.

We have got to live it, not just say it! How many Worldwiders are doing so? James tells us what that true love in us will generate if we do truly walk in Him. He put this first: looking after orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27). Jesus also had much to say on that in Matthew chapters 24 and 25 (see Matt 24:45-51, and 25:14-46). Such demonstration of pure love is a major fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The WCG would claim it had the love of God, basing its self-justification on I John 5:3. But you can 'keep' the commandments of God and not have an 'ounce' of the love of God in you. The Pharisees proved that. You can be as cold as ice, without warmth and godly characteristics and yet be as religious as Buddha. But that is vain if you do not personally know your Saviour who died for you.

The relationship He wants to have with you is one based on His great love. He died for you. Would you die for Him? Is His love in you to that extent?

Do you really know Him? Do you really love others with the love He has? Or is your religion purely legalistic, based on the rituals of the law?

Submitting to God's Word is one thing, but it is not enough if you want to truly know Him. You must submit to Him also – in your mind and your life. If you make the words of God more important than Him, you will miss Him.

Looking to the words of God rather than to our Saviour is such a subtle idolatrous trap that I wonder how many will wake up to their spiritual impoverishment. We must come to see that if we place so much emphasis on the word and doctrine that it becomes a selfish religion, inward-looking. We end up looking at ourselves, rather than to the One who called us. As long as we do that, He cannot come in. We have shut the door on Him.

Only when our approach changes can we be released from our self-imposed bondage. And what a glorious release that is! He says: "If a man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (Jn 7:37,38).

When you stop trusting in yourself, in what you do; when you stop trusting in the church leadership; when you stop trusting in church teaching; when you stop trusting in anything other than Jesus, then He can come in. When you are finally so broken that you die, then He can live in you. Open the door and let Him in. He wants to dwell in you. He wants to be your Friend.

Malcolm B Heap

Footnote about Ambassador Report

Ambassador Report documents the many true but corrupt and duplicitous practices which have transpired continually in high WCG circles. Historic and authentic reports of WCG ministerial abuse, corruption and hypocrisy go back decades. Had they been untrue, the author would have been sued out of existence by now. However, the allegations of deceit and corruption in WCG leaders (which have been verified by reliable witnesses) have not been challenged in court for fear of further damaging exposure. They are 98% true. Write to Ambassador Report, PO Box 60068, Pasadena, California 91116, USA. Until you read the plain truth of those reports, you will not believe that Bobby Fisher was right! Jesus said you will know a tree by its fruit. If you refuse to look at the fruit, you will continue to be deceived.

Further Reading

Plundering Hell, by Reinhard Bonnke/Ron Steele, Published by Marshalls.

When the Spirit Comes, by Colin Urquhart, Published by Hodder & Stoughton.

Expect a Miracle, by Melvin Banks, Published by Marshall Pickering.

Explaining – Speaking in Tongues, by John Edwards, Published by Sovereign World.

Wigglesworth A Man Who Walked With God, by George Stormont, Published by Sovereign World.

Delighted in God – Biography of George Müller, by Roger Steer, Published by Hodder & Stoughton.

I Believe in Miracles, by Kathryn Kuhlman, Published by Marshall Pickering.

9 O’clock In The Morning, by Dennis Bennett, pub. by Kingsway (A humorous account relating how the gift of tongues came to a couple in the USA, and sparked the charismatic renewal movement.).

The Hippo in the Garden, by James Ryle, pub. by Highland (Hearing the voice of God in our time.).

You Can Hear the Voice of God, by Steve Sampson, Sovereign World.

Baptized by Fire, by Jack Hywel-Davies, pub. by Hodder & Stoughton (A stirring biography of Smith Wigglesworth, an evangelist on fire for God!).

From Witchcraft to Christ, by Doreen Irvine, pub. by Kingsway (This former black witch was converted to Christ. A wonderful story!).

I Am With You Always, by G Scott Sparrow, pub. by Pan Books.

The above publications are not available from Midnight Ministries. They are available from most Christian bookshops.

Publications of Midnight Ministries

MG2 - Understanding The Mind of God: A Message To Law-Keepers
Building upon the foundation laid in A Message To Worldwiders, this publication explores the miraculous power available to us. Incomplete truth in the minds of many legalistic Christians has caused them to ignore or reject miracle-working believers. This booklet outlines several miraculous phenomena of the Holy Spirit about which Sabbatarian groups have been mostly unaware.

MG3 - Understanding The Mind of God: A Message To 'Philadelphians'
Offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God, the Philadelphia Church of God arrogantly assumes itself to be the sole beneficiary of God's Holy Spirit. But is it God's one True Church? Or has it been grossly deceived and deluded? This booklet details comprehensively the wrong governmental philosophy upon which the organisation is founded and because of which it will ultimately fall.

MG4 - Understanding The Mind of God: A Message To Sabbatarians
There is much misunderstanding amongst Christians about which is the correct Sabbath for us under the New Covenant. Some observe Sunday, some Saturday, while others maintain the 'rest' is spiritual – in Christ – and therefore assume we do not need to observe a specific day. What should our approach be to those of different Christian persuasion? Do you respect other devout Christians? This publication contains harrowing accounts of the lives of some contemporary Christian martyrs in China.

MG5 - Understanding The Mind of God:  A Message To 'Sacred Names' Proponents
A subtle but crippling philosophy grips the minds of those who feel they must use Hebrew names for God or Christ. The Almighty God of the universe says such a philosophy constrains Him within humanly devised parameters. Why is the 'names' movement such a trap? This booklet explains.

The Plain Truth About the Worldwide Church of God
This 85-page book exposes the hypocrisy and deceit of official representatives of the WCG. Although the church claims to be open and honest, in practice it is far from that! While the leadership proclaims that it seeks truth, the plain truth is not flattering!

To request any of the above, please send a donation of £3.00 (US$5.00) to cover our costs. Thank you. The worker is worthy of his keep (Matt 10:10). For more information, or to see a full list of literature, visit Publications of Midnight Ministries.