I have prayerfully proven to myself that the Philadelphia Church of God is the most unique of all groups that have distanced themselves from the tortuous doctrinal changes of the Worldwide Church of God. Only Malachi’s Message he clearly speaks with AUTHORITY and not “as the scribes” (Matt. 7:29). I have listened carefully to THE Voice of the Shepherd, listening to what the Spirit says to God’s Church today, checking everything against the Bible and what Mr. Armstrong faithfully taught us (John 10:3; Revelation 3:22; 2 Thess. 2:15).
Of course, there are those claim to follow the traditions in which we have been taught, but have refused to humble themselves and submit to the fact that JESUS CHRIST had already moved HIS CANDLESTICK when they finally saw the light. All they had to do was go where Christ had already gone, and support HIS WORK of casting down the errors in the Worldwide Church of God, while holding fast to God’s truth! EITHER WE GET A GRIP – or we lose it! (Revelation 3:11).
Instead of working with Christ, some have chosen to do their own thing, contributing to the state of confusion in the Church, instead of helping to RESTORE ORDER (1 Cor. 14:33). Why duplicate efforts, wasting valuable time and money? Why not join ranks with the PCG in order to present a UNITED FRONT to an increasingly divided world? This would allow us to effectively share with others the message that GOD wants them to hear (John 12:49). We must come together, in Christ, especially since we have all been repeatedly taught, “There is only one Church. Not one mother church and many little daughter churches that have split apart in disagreement. The splitting divisions ARE NOT YET IN THE CHURCH.” (mystery of the ages, p. 243).
Whether we like it or not, God, in His infinite wisdom, made Gerald Flurry to reveal Church of God what was going on – and thus allow us to show our true colors by the way we responded to Malachi’s message. (That does not mean that Mr. Flurry is infallible or that he does not need to continually apply the principles of Malachi’s Message himself and the organization, as we all do, as explained in my article “Everybody Again?”).
Restored to Zion!
If I am so convinced that Christ is only with the PCG, and that the others are stubborn, for the most part, resisting God’s leading, why don’t I attend their services? (Matthew 7:21; 1 Samuel 15:23). And how can I believe that God is actively working through me in the Middle East? Because I have been unjustly expelled (2 Thessalonians 3:2), but I remain loyal to the truth of God that they teach!
It is disconcerting to see an organization that apparently started out so good, strong and righteous degenerate into a CULT of personality that rules through intimidation and fear and borders on emperor worship! However, they hold more truth in many respects than the others, just as Herbert W. Armstrong saw Sardis (Church of God, 7th Day), albeit impotent. Strange but true! Perhaps it is as if Saul was still the anointed one until he was punished by death for his sins and then David reigned…
When Gerald Flurry was nothing in his own sight or mind, God used him and now, unfortunately, it seems to have gone to his head, all the new revelation (just a deeper understanding of some things), and he forgets that all truth is of and belongs to GOD and that God can use a donkey to deliver it! (1 Corinthians 4:7). Gerald Flurry has gotten so puffed up in his own imagination that he doesn’t realize that he is the leader of LAODICEA! He knows what warning God is giving to the Laodiceans, of whom he is the chief! He had better lead his own words!
Under Herbert Armstrong Pasadena, California was the headquarters of the Philadelphia-era Church of God; now Edmond, Oklahoma is the headquarters of the Laodicean era, and the next thing in God’s plan is the restoration of his headquarters in Jerusalem!
God knows me attitudes and actions I still support the work that God has given you to do, but I truly believe what Gerald Flurry teaches: your work is almost done! It will only slightly overlap the beginning of THE FINAL WORK OF GOD as described in my book, Beyond Babylon: The Rise and Fall of Europe (John 3:30). Minister Dennis Leap perversely expelled me for believing that GOD HAS ORDAINED that I should promote his timely truth (Isa. 61:1), even though I am not from the “school of the prophets” (Ambassador College), nor do I do so. in the “conventional” way (1 Sam. 17:39).
I have come to understand better that God has already begun the transition process to RESTORE His Menorah – His Lampstand to JERUSALEM! (1 Kings 11:36; Amos 9:11). As prophesied, a NATIONAL MESSENGER will be on active duty in Jerusalem, preparing the way for the Messiah’s imminent return (Zechariah 12:8). god reveals Hears I would send this outspoken individual to deliver a BULLYING MESSAGE and SEALING DOOM to the NATIONS – just before it RAINS NUCLEAR FIRE AND BRIMMER on those who have rejected GOD’S ULTIMATE! (Isaiah 41:27; 30:27; Micah 3:8).
It is from Jerusalem that we must warn that another HOLOCAUST is coming! That is the sensitive place where God will provoke a NATIONAL DEBATE and ignite an INTERNATIONAL CONTROVERSY! (Micah 6:1-2). He will shock the Jews and anger the Germans! It will undoubtedly offend many holocaust survivors now living in Israel, but they should understand and lend their voices of experience to ours, having personally witnessed GERMANY’S GROSS FORCE, to aid our efforts to ensure “Never Again!”
Regardless, we can expect a maelstrom of protests and a bitter backlash, but such persecution will only fan the flames of this BURNING ISSUE! (Isaiah 54:15-16). Both Germany and Israel (for their own reasons), will immediately want to stop such “incitement”, calling it alarmist and racist, but they will fail and God’s Word will prevail (Jeremiah 1:19).
God have to grants “political immunity” to His Two Witnesses, so they can be free to say and do anything He commands boldly, even though the world will regard them as public enemy number one! (Ps. 105:15; Revelation 11:10). Undeterred, they will continue God’s work and serve as official spokesmen for His government, even in the face of fierce hostile opposition (Jeremiah 1:8). But I’m getting ahead of myself. All this is related to Beyond Babylon, but let’s go back to the beginning – of the real Philly era….
Mr. Armstrong’s Experiences
In the words of Mr. Armstrong, referring to his dealings with certain Sardis ministers, “I will not hide the FACTS!” (HWA Autobiography, Flight. 1, p. 366). However, lest I be misunderstood, I had been very hesitant to say or write anything about my experiences with certain professing ministers in Philadelphia, but I feel compelled by GOD to tell the truth, not fearing the reactions of men, but trusting in God! God’s PURPOSE!
Mr. Armstrong recounts how he had presented a “dual test” to the Church of God, Seventh Day, to help him determine whether or not it was really the Church of God. His first test involved mailing an “exposition of 16 WRITTEN PAGES proving plainly, plainly, and without contradiction that a certain minor point of doctrine…was wrong…to see if their leaders would confess error and change.” “. His leader admitted that what Mr. Armstrong pointed out was true, but he feared that he might upset many of the members and even threaten to split the Church! “Naturally, this shook my confidence considerably.” (HWA Autobiography, Flight. 1, pp. 360-361, emphasis mine).
I also found that “a certain minor point of doctrine” taught by Dennis Leap (over the 144,000), was wrong. I didn’t want to rock the boat, and it wasn’t something I would lose any sleep over, so I just wanted to ignore or brush it off, but God wouldn’t let me! Surprisingly, a dear friend asked me about the 144,000 out of the blue, and then somehow it came up again with someone else; so God managed to get my attention to write Dennis Leap about it. I sent him my PAGE AND 1/2 LETTER, reproduced here, and heard nothing.
Finally, around my third try (I don’t give up easily!), Dennis Leap discussed it with me over the phone. When I mentioned that the Scriptures make it clear that once you have broken your “seal” you have lost your salvation, and to claim that we can somehow be “resealed” is tantamount to crucifying Christ twice, Dennis Leap stammered, unable to justify his position, but I remained determined to maintain it, much to my chagrin. As Herbert W. Armstrong’s experience, “Naturally, this shook my confidence considerably.”
Church rejects new truth
God used an evangelist in Florida to challenge Mr. Armstrong. He had written to Mr. Armstrong and told him that he was ignorant if he didn’t know where we are mentioned in the Bible. After sifting through the astonishing amount of information on the subject in the library, Mr. Armstrong PROVEN that the so-called “Ten Lost Tribes” are, in fact, the American, British, and Northwest European peoples. He then sent the “extensive manuscript of about 300 typed PAGES” that he had written to support this truth to the publisher and leader of the Church. “Did this Church accept and proclaim this new and vital truth…But this Church then refused to accept, preach or publish it even though its leader frankly confessed that it was the TRUTH and a revelation from GOD! Yet here was the Church that seemed to have more truth and less error than any other… Truly this was disconcerting!(p. 362)…
Philadelphia Church of God Leads the Laodicean Era (Conclusion)
