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FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF THE CHURCH OF GOD
BELIEFS 23, 24, 25
BELIEF 23 – VOTING AND TAKING PART IN POLITICS
God’s Church believes that its members should not vote in elections, hold elected office, take part in elections as candidates or participate in politics such as in election campaigns.
Christians are commanded to be separate from the world in 2 Corinthians 6:17, “Come out from among them [the world], and be you separate.” By voting we would become part of the world.
Soon, Europe is going to resurrect the “Holy Roman Empire” for the seventh and last time. In Bible prophecy it is called the Babylonian system. God’s Church is warned to not be part of the system or those who join it through its politics for financial advantage because they will then partake in its plagues that will destroy the system. Revelation 18:4, “4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her [verse 2 mentions Babylon, “Babylon the great is fallen”] my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.”
When Jesus was on trial before Pontius Pilate, Pilate asked Him in John 18:33, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus replied in verse 36: “36 My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence [here].” We in God’s Church believe we are Christ’s servants and represent God’s Kingdom. That’s why we do not vote to “fight” elections to defeat opponents.
Paul the apostle wrote in Philippians 3:20, “For our conversation [the Greek word here should be properly translated citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” As members of God’s Church, our primary citizenship is in heaven and not on earth.
The fact that we are citizens of God’s government in Heaven and represent God’s kingdom on earth is reinforced by the statement in 2 Corinthians 5:20: “Now then we are AMBASSADORS for Christ.” As ambassadors of God’s Kingdom, members of God’s Church cannot participate in man’s systems of government and elect representatives of their host country.
A U.S. Ambassador to India would live in India but would not be an Indian citizen. All his words, statements, actions and appearance would be carefully curated to properly represent the U.S. government. Being resident in India, he would obey Indian laws, but it would be illegal for him to vote in Indian elections.
We can get the picture of how God expects baptized members of His Church to act if we replace the U.S. with God’s kingdom in this analogy. No matter what the country, all baptized members of God’s Church represent the Kingdom of God and their coming King, Jesus Christ. Their primary allegiance is to God’s kingdom and not to the physical nation they live in or are citizens of. We strive to uphold God’s standards in personal appearance, conversation, use of language, conduct in relationships with other people and character. As ambassadors for God’s kingdom, we do not vote in elections in our physical nations.
Jesus told His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:24: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [riches].” Christians are to be totally loyal to the heavenly government they represent as ambassadors of Christ.
However, we live on earth and are required in Romans 13:1 to obey the rulers, and laws of the countries we live, “1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” Sometimes man’s laws conflict with God’s laws. In that case we are instructed to obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29).
As the saying goes, “There is nothing more that divides humans than religion and politics.” That’s a true saying. God wants His people to live together in unity and harmony as stated in Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” God hates division and discord as stated in Proverbs 6:16, 19, “These…things does the Lord hate…he that sows discord among brethren”. Paul wrote in Romans 16:17, “Mark [or “take note of”] them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned; and avoid them.”
Involvement in politics would cause division and discord leading to splits within God’s Church! God does not want that to occur in His Church. That’s why members of God’s Church do not vote.
My Recent Experience
Because of the Church’s beliefs, I have never voted in any elections in my entire life. However, recently an issue arose that led me to consider voting temporarily.
In the USA and British Commonwealth nations (who are descendants of the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim of ancient Israel respectively) we are seeing a dramatic surge in sexual sins, transgenderism (boys and men believing they are girls or women, dressing and behaving as such and vice versa) and vigorous propaganda for acceptance of the LBGTQ lifestyle by making it look mainstream, and persecution of those who criticize it to the extent of losing their job or position and be branded as bigots. German masqueraders, guided by Satan the devil, are behind this propaganda.
God’s law in Leviticus 18 defines what sexual sins are and prescribes the penalty for their violations. God told ancient Israel just before they were to inherit the land of the Canaanites that the land was vomiting the Canaanites out because of their sexual sins mentioned in Leviticus 18 and if they committed the same sexual sins, the land would vomit them out also. That is stated in Leviticus 18:27-28, “27 (for all these abominations [sexual sins] the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.”
There is a Satan-led diabolical plot by the Germans in collusion with German masqueraders to facilitate this result so that they can occupy the land for themselves.
A few German masqueraders and their allies by example, threats and coercion have led our people (white Americans of non-German ancestry in UBI nations) to commit sexual sins, promoted homosexuality and transgenderism even in schools beginning with elementary school. Some groups have publicly stated catching our children young is their goal. With their propaganda they have made such sins widely accepted in our society and persecuted those who criticized them knowing that our God, the God of the bible, will punish us for such sins.
God holds us, the people, our clergymen and legislative leaders responsible for such sins as He prophesied in Isaiah 3:12, “As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err and destroy the way of your paths.”
But the diabolical plot goes much further than that. It’s not enough for them that our lands vomit us out for our sexual sins. They live in the land too and want to stay in it. That’s why their latest agenda is to obey God’s laws by banning transgenderism and not promote other sexual perversions. Their reasoning is that because they obey God’s laws, they will not be vomited out of the land, but white Americans of non-German ancestry will be. They also believe that God of the Bible enforces His laws on His people [descendants of Jacob] because He gave His laws only to them, but the laws do not apply to them [German masqueraders] as Satan is their guide, and he has no such laws that they have to obey.
President Trump is now the global chief of the Germans and German masqueraders. He is leading their effort to discourage such sexual deviancy from public life in the USA. Governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbot of Texas are also German masqueraders who are leading the same effort in their respective states.
But German masqueraders are active on both sides of major issues. Governors Gavin Newsome of California and Kathy Hochul of New York are German masqueraders who are defying President Trump on the transgender issue and other sexual sins. That’s why it’s so difficult to tackle issues nationwide concerning violations of God’s laws.
The remedy for us to not be vomited out of our lands is to start obeying the laws. But that is easier said than done. The reason is that the propaganda machine of German masqueraders and their allies will oppose all our efforts tooth and nail to curb sexual immorality in public life and its promotion by getting their people elected to the highest offices like president, governors and mayors, through legislation, propaganda, protests and even violence. That’s where our legislative leaders at all levels in our UBI nations are failing. And many of our leaders are German masqueraders such as governors of California, New York and many other states. The remedy, therefore, is to vote leaders out who promote behavior and lifestyles that violate God’s laws concerning sexual sins.
The problem with removing leaders who promote sexually sinful behavior is that 41 million Christians who are against such behavior do not vote. If they all voted, then it would be easy to vote such leaders out of Congress and state legislatures.
I thought that the reason 41 million Christians do not vote is the same as the reason why God’s Church does not vote. The number of genuine Church of God members eligible to vote in the USA is probably no more than 5,000. Therefore, they can have little impact in elections in small towns leave alone any impact in local, state and nationwide elections. Rest of the members are German masqueraders. But if 41 million Christian voters continue to follow the Church’s example and do not vote, then by default German masqueraders and their allies will continue to win elections and succeed in their agenda to drench the USA in sexual sins so that the land vomits us out.
Since this issue is of such critical importance, to set an example I seriously considered voting temporarily so that 41 million Christians will also start taking part in elections. I reasoned that we must diligently do whatever we can to promote obedience to God’s laws. As soon as laws are passed to curb promotion of sexual sins, shut down propaganda to make them acceptable in society and stop persecution of those who criticize them, I would again stop voting.
I believed that this is an “ox in the ditch situation” (Luke 14:5) and voting temporarily was justified till we can vote out leaders who lead us to violate God’s laws concerning sexual morality which will bring His wrath upon us, leading to national slavery and being dispossessed of our lands. Since, the 41 million Christians non-voters seemed to be following the lead of God’s Church, I mulled the idea for about a week of God’s Church leading by example and voting temporarily.
However, on July 13, 2025, God intervened and changed my view as I was mulling the situation. From the very beginning about a week before I came across the data on 41 million Christians not voting and started to consider and research what action might be appropriate for me and God’s Church, I was fearful to go against any judgments made by Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA), even temporarily. And his judgment was that we as members of God’s Church should not vote in elections or take part in politics. Therefore, every time I prayed, I asked God to guide me in this decision.
In my prayers I reminded God that He responded to the prayers of His servants whenever they had hard questions or decisions to make. Therefore, every time I prayed, I asked God to guide me. I do that in every important decision small or large that I have to make. I remind God that I do not want to make the mistake that Jushua made concerning the Gibeonites who deceived him and the Israelites by saying they were from a far country when they did not inquire of God (Joshua 9:14-15) whether the Gibeonites were indeed from a far country and whether they should make a league with them. I’d rather ask God to guide me even on simple sounding decisions than rely on my own ability to make the correct decision even though my reasoning may sound very logical to me.
When I was thinking that voting temporarily in the “ox in the ditch” situation may be justified, or the reasoning that the “Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath” applied in this case, God answered my prayer in a dramatic way.
In his booklet “Should Christians Vote?” David Pack of the Restored Church of God describes a dream HWA had concerning leaders in God’s Church trying to inject voting in the Church which impressed him. He quotes from the Church’s September 1980 Good News magazine:
“...Mr. Armstrong had a dream he felt was intended to reveal an important lesson to him and the Church. It occurred shortly after the period in the 1970s (...when liberal leaders sought to inject democracy [meaning choosing leaders by voting] into the Church)...:
“I awakened considerably impressed with the dream. Was God revealing to me that TOO MANY within the Church membership are leaving GOD out of the picture?—in their own minds putting GOD out of the Church?…that the people should say to GOD, ‘This is OUR Church, God, we want you to GET OUT of the Church and leave us alone. WE will run this Church OUR way!’ I awakened impressed that TOO MANY of our people are LEAVING GOD AND CHRIST OUT OF HIS CHURCH and trying to make it OUR Church—the church of the PEOPLE, and NOT the CHURCH of GOD!
“[In the 70s] There were at least six or seven in TOP offices next to Christ’s apostle in authority—men trusted and honored. But they were going to make it ‘THE CHURCH OF PEOPLE,’ instead of the CHURCH OF GOD. They could not see God nor Christ in their mental picture of God’s Church. They were LIBERALS!
“Now churches or works OF THEIR OWN have been started [meaning those leaders left the Church and started their own churches]. But they overlook one thing: ‘EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD THE HOUSE, THEY LABOUR IN VAIN THAT BUILD IT.’
“GOD is not building their houses!”
“Shall We All Leave THE CHURCH OF GOD and join ‘THE CHURCH OF PEOPLE’?”
God too answered my week-long prayers through a very vivid dream in the morning of July 13, 2025. In the dream suddenly everything in my house that I had labored for and accumulated in my life was stolen, including things I had just purchased. I awoke and the dream was very vivid in my mind. Immediately 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 came to mind: “11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
I have no doubt that God answered my prayer and provided the answer to my question through the dream. I am to abide by the judgment made by HWA under all circumstances that members of God’s Church should not vote or take part in politics. Otherwise, I would be in danger of losing my reward that I have worked for throughout my life. So, I will never vote or take part in politics as I have done throughout my life.
BELIEF 24 - GOD’S FORM OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT
God’s Church believes that God’s form of government in His Church has always been from the top down, under one man as head of that government. God the Father is supreme in authority, and His Son Jesus Christ is under Him in rank and authority. Jesus Christ is the Head of God’s Church. God the Father and Jesus Christ appoint a man as head of the Church, usually by raising an era of the Church through that man. That man then appoints others under him in authority. He also appoints one man as successor after him.
Jesus said in John 14:28, “...I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.”
Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 11:3, “3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”
Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:23, “...Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.”
Under God the Father and Jesus Christ, there are other human beings appointed to various offices in the Church in order of descending authority as stated in Ephesians 4:11-12, “11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
God’s Church has gone through seven successive distinct eras in its history which was prophesied in advance in Revelation 2-3: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. God raised up each era through one man who then became the head of the Church. He appoints men to other offices in the Church. And he also appoints his successor. That has been the pattern of government in God’s Church throughout most but not all of its history.
How the Church is to be governed by its leaders as servants is described by Jesus Christ in Matthew 20:25-28, “25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Recent Church Experiences in Governance
History of God’s Church shows that God has raised each era of His true Church through the preaching of one man who became the head of the Church in his time. He then appointed his successor.
Satan uses every strategy available to him to try and destroy God’s Church. As soon as an era of God’s Church is being raised, he begins packing it with tares, or infiltrators, with the purpose of destroying it from within. In the parable of the tares when the disciples asked Jesus to explain the tares to them, He said in Matthew 13:37-39, “He who sows the seed is the Son of Man (Jesus Christ). The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one [Satan]. The enemy who sowed them is the devil...”
The tares are influenced by Satan and are engaged in leading genuine members of God's true Church astray. Their purpose is to deprive genuine members of their opportunity for eternal life. Satan uses the tares to try every possible means to lead the Church collectively as well as individual members astray. For such infiltrators to be highly effective, they have to be very well versed in the doctrines of the Church and God's way of life. So, they understand God's way of life very well. They know it is good for those who practice it and order their own lives by it. But they use Satan's cunning and craftiness to try to deceive the true members into believing that some doctrine is in error and needs modification, or some way of life does not work, or they can compromise with it based on their circumstances and treat it as an “ox in the ditch” situation (Luke 13:15; 14:5).
Any compromise with or violation of God’s laws and way of life is sin. The infiltrators try to cause divisions in the Church, or rebellion against authority. All these are contrary to God's way of life. Some genuine members are deceived by them, leave the Church and will lose their eternal life.
The Philadelphia era of God’s Church was raised through the preaching of HWA. He was introduced to God’s true Church by coming into contact with members of the Sardis era of the Church (Revelation 3:1-2, 4, “I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your works perfect before God...4 You have a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.”)
During the early years of the Sardis era in the USA between the late 1600s to 1800s, because of slow modes of transport and communications, individual congregations or small groups of congregations of the Church of God existed. However, in the early 1800s, a general conference was organized to coordinate their evangelistic efforts and cooperate in the publication of literature. Individual congregations contributed financially to the state conference which contributed to the general conference headquarters for the evangelistic efforts, as well as development of the ministry. Leaders of the General Conference, meaning national leaders, were elected by vote.
When HWA came into contact with the Sardis members of the Church of God, it was on its last legs and had been heavily infiltrated by tares who were at work constantly calling into question one Church doctrine or other, causing divisions. When agreement on doctrines could not be reached, which was always the intended goal of the tares (generally German masqueraders) the Church split. They used the voting process to the hilt. Because of dissensions, many members stopped attending Church altogether while others practiced true Christianity and adhered to the true doctrines individually in their own homes or small groups, thus fulfilling Christ’s prophecies in Revelation 3:1,4, “I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and are dead... 4 You have a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments [by compromising with doctrines or God’s way of life]; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.”
That script was enacted all over again in the Philadelphia era of God’s Church that followed Sardis. God raised the Philadelphia era through the preaching of HWA. When he wrote a paper on the Israelite identity of USA and British Commonwealth nations and sent it to headquarters of the General Conference, the leaders agreed with what he wrote but refused to preach it. Thereafter, local Church members with whom he fellowshipped asked him to preach. That’s how the Philadelphia era started with HWA and grew.
Because of the problems he witnessed in the Sardis era, HWA searched the bible to find out what was God’s method of Church government. He reached the conclusion that “one man in charge” was God’s method of government. He then taught God’s method of government to the Church. When he knew that he could soon die before the beginning of the fulfillment of prophesied end-time events, a few weeks before his death on January 16, 1986, he appointed Joseph W. Tkach Sr. (JWT) as his successor and Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG).
JWT turned out to be a German masquerader, and a tare, whose goal was always to destroy the Church from within. Shortly after taking over as head of the Church, JWT with his son and other accomplices started dismantling the Church by first questioning doctrines and then doing away with them. They began firing ministers who would not preach the changes they were making. Some leading ministers set up their own individual Church of God organizations whereas others joined together and formed larger groups.
Members were left in utter confusion including me. Some simply stopped attending and joined churches of mainstream Christianity. Others followed wherever their local minister went. Others went around larger groups for some time like me and selected one of them and made it their Church home. The larger groups further split into smaller groups.
While HWA’s example showed what God’s method of Church government can accomplish, JWT showed how under the same method a wrong leader can destroy God’s Church from within. Method of Church government chosen by different larger groups that came out of the WCG can provide further insights.
As best as I know, among the larger Church groups that came out of splits in the WCG, the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) headed by Gerald R. Flurry (GRF), the Restored Church of God (RCG) headed by David C. Pack (DCP) practice the form of Church government taught by HWA. The United Church of God (UCG), the Living Church of God (LCG) and the Church of God, a worldwide Association (COGWA) are governed by a Council of Elders, a kind of Church Board, which votes for the President of the Church as executive head of the Church and approves his men picked to head various operations departments. Members of the Council of Elders are voted by all the ministers. Leaders of LCG and RCG were originally part of the splinter group, the Global Church of God (GCG). Leaders of LCG and RCG were fired from GCG by its board who then set up their respective organizations. GCG is now defunct. COGWA split off from UCG.
The horrifying tragedy is that almost all leaders, members of their Council of Elders and all paid and unpaid ministers (men who hold other regular jobs) of all these organizations have turned out to be German masqueraders or allied with them and have recently murdered a genuine member of their own Church to join the German masquerader side and prove their loyalty to them. Their motive in doing so was to avoid being martyred in the Great Tribulation when the German-led seventh resurrection of the “Holy Roman Empire” defeats the USA, British Commonwealth nations and Israel and enslaves their populations. Almost all the members who remain in these organizations have also participated in murder and are also either German masqueraders or their allies.
There still are genuine members of God’s Church, but they are part of individual congregations. Some of these congregations have formed a loose network called the Common Faith Network. But unfortunately, tares have infiltrated these congregations also in large numbers.
The lesson from this history is that no method of Church government is fool proof. Voting and the democratic method invariably leads to quarrels, divisions and eventually splits. It’s also the method most easily exploited by tares to destroy the Church from within. God’s method of Church government is the best, as long it is led by a leader who has been clearly chosen by God which is evident by the fruits God has produced through him, who also stands firm in the face of opposition. That was the case with HWA. But JWT was appointed by HWA as his successor and could be considered appointed by God. However, he dismantled everything God had restored to His Church through HWA.
So, how could genuine members have avoided becoming victims of the cunning craftiness of JWT, his son Joseph Tkach Jr., and their associates, and not be misled to forsake God’s way and lose their one and only chance for salvation and eternal life?
Jesus Christ is returning to earth very soon to set up God’s kingdom. Members of God’s Church will face the worst deception that Satan can muster in the history of mankind because he knows he has a very short time left as ruler on earth (Revelation 12:12). The purpose of the deception would be to deceive the very elect, meaning members of God’s Church (Matthew 24:24, “24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”)
However, in the end time God has equipped His Church with the best weapon ever (Ephesians 6:12-18, “13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth [the truths restored by HWA], and having on the breastplate of righteousness [so that God will be pleased to help us not become victims of Satan’s deceptions and take us to the place of safety]; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace [God has restored to us the true meaning of the gospel]; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” [we have true understanding of the word of God in the fundamental beliefs of the Church of God as restored by HWA], 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” [so that we stay close to God].”
In this end time, God sent a prophet and apostle in the spirit and power of Elijah the prophet, Herbert W. Armstrong, to “restore all things,” meaning all truths to His end-time Church, which are the fundamental beliefs of the Church of God.
So, how should we as members of God’s Church act when faced with the situation where divisions and splits are taking place in God’s Church, or when leaders, “friends” who are actually tares or individuals try to lead us astray from the fundamental beliefs restored through HWA ? We stick to the fundamental beliefs restored by HWA. We try our best to find people of like mind to fellowship with on the Sabbath and God’s annual holy days (Hebrews 10: 24-25, “24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.”) Even if you find yourself alone and all who you fellowshipped with have gone astray from any of the fundamental beliefs, have been deceived, or were German masqueraders and their allies whose only goal was to deceive you, God requires us as individuals to stay with the truth.
Jesus Christ gave us that perfect guidance in the message to the Sardis Church. Members of Sardis era of God’s Church experienced tares and infiltrators who split and destroyed that era so that many members found themselves alone and no one else who adhered to the truth close to them to fellowship with. Jesus Christ considers them worthy of eternal life (Revelation 3:4-5, “4 You have a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments [they stuck to the truth]; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”)
That is the great value to us of God having sent a man in the power of Elijah the prophet to restore all truths and fundamental beliefs to His end-time Church. That is the great weapon God has given us to thwart Satan’s attempts to lead us astray and deprive us of eternal life. Never compromise with those truths to the end, no matter what the circumstances. Then Jesus Christ will be pleased to “confess your name before God the Father and before His angels.” Don’t look only to the right form of government. WCG under JWT had the right form of Church government. But he destroyed the Church. As long as you have stuck with all the truths restored by HWA, you remain safe in Jesus Christ. But do seek fellowship with people of the same mind (Hebrews 10:25) who also adhere to the truths restored by HWA.
There is another great lesson we can learn from HWA’s appointment of JWT as his successor. If HWA had known that JWT was a German masquerader and a tare in God’s Church, he obviously would not have appointed him as his successor. But God allowed it to fulfill His prophecies. The prophecy this appointment fulfilled is in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (NKJV), “7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.”
This prophecy is very precise. Germans are a lawless people because they follow Satan who does not require them to follow any laws. They were secretly working to undermine God’s Church. That’s why “mystery of lawlessness” is a precise description of them. They tried to make changes to doctrines and secretly worked with many members because well above 80% were German masqueraders like them and their allies, all tares in the Church. Whenever HWA found out about the changes, he disfellowshipped the leaders and those who followed them. That’s how he restrained the lawlessness that was already at work as long as he was alive. But when HWA was taken out of the way by death, there was no more restraint and the “mystery of lawlessness” came out in the open because with JWT’s appointment they were in charge of the Church. Thus, God allowed JWT’s appointment as successor to fulfill prophecy and to test members whether they had the love of the truth.
The tares in the Church did not love the truth. God prophesied as a warning what they would suffer in 2 Thessalonians 2 verses 10-12, “10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned [condemned] who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” The second permanent death awaits them because they have had their only chance for salvation.
Parable of the tares in Matthew 13:24-30 also describes their fate in verse 30: “in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them...”
The lesson, therefore, is that as members of God’s Church, we must love the truths restored by God through HWA, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.
BELIEF 25 - CHURCH SERVICES AND RITUALS
While God’s Church does not have a fundamental belief about how Church services should be conducted and does not conduct any rituals in its worship practices, it is necessary to state how Church services are conducted in God’s Church as instituted by HWA, through whom God founded the Philadelphia era of His Church.
It is necessary to state this because many Christian denominations are giving Christianity a bad name by conducting fake healings on TV or fake demonstrations of the holy spirit with the pastor touching a member on the forehead and pushing him and the member falling back or shaking his or her body violently or uttering gibberish which they call “speaking in tongues.”
Mainstream Christian Protestant denominations such as Baptists, Anglicans and others do not indulge in such practices. Their worship practices are similar to those of God’s true Church.
This is how God’s true Church worships God in its Church services. We do not practice deceit in the form of fake healings or utter gibberish to claim that members are speaking in “tongues” as evidence of being led by the ”holy spirit.” In God’s true Church, all things are done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40, “Let all things be done decently and in order”.)
As an example of how we conduct our Church practices, here is a link to watch a full-length church service conducted in the United Church of God which I attended for more than 20 years. That’s how we conduct our services throughout the year:
https://video.ibm.com/recorded/134377402
In my free eBook “Why God Created Mankind?” I explain that God’s purpose for creating mankind is to give human beings an opportunity to become His literal sons and daughters. In my free eBook “God’s Plan of Salvation for Mankind” I explain the process God has put in motion to give every human being an opportunity to qualify for salvation, the end result of which is to be made immortal through a resurrection from physical life to spirit life like that of Jesus Christ to become His immortal sons and daughters.
To achieve that goal and become immortal, God has given every human being a mandate which He gave Abraham in Genesis 17:1, “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; WALK BEFORE ME AND BE YOU PERFECT.”
That command was repeated to all Israelites through Moses in Deuteronomy 18:13, “13 You shall be perfect with the Lord your God.”
At the time of dedication of the Temple Solomon had built, he stated in his speech in 1 Kings 8:61, “Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.” That’s how we become perfect: by walking in God’s ways and keeping all His commandments, starting with the Ten Commandments. That means obeying God’s law. King David said in Psalm 19:7, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”
Jesus Christ in His Sermon on the Mount also succinctly stated God’s mandate to every human being in Matthew 5:48, “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” This is the same command God gave to Abraham and to all Israelites through Moses.
Becoming perfect like God the Father and Jesus Christ should be every Christian’s goal and we do that by keeping God’s commandments. India’s Nobel Prize winning poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote in his poem “Where the Mind is without Fear”, part of his Gitanjali collection, the line "where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection..." That’s what God wants humans to strive for.
The goal of Christian Church services is to help us in our tireless striving towards becoming perfect like God the Father. In sermons, usually of one hour duration, and sermonettes, usually between 10-15 minutes in length, we learn how to apply God’s Law in our lives so that we can become perfect.
Weekly Church Services
This is how God’s Church conducts services every week on the Sabbath day from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, usually of one and a half to two hours duration.
1) First, we sing 3 hymns in praise of God which can take about 10 minutes. After the hymns, we usually say a brief prayer asking God’s blessings on the church service, inspiring the speaker’s message and our hearing.
2) Then a Church elder or member gives a sermonette on a subject concerning personal spiritual development. In the sermonette, usually 3-4 scriptures are quoted to explain the subject. After the sermonette, we sing another hymn in praise of God.
3) Then we usually have announcements lasting from 5-15 minutes about members who may be sick and need prayers for healing or for other reasons; other announcements concerning individual members or Church related activities such as for teaching of children, or picnic or other social activities. After the announcements we sing another hymn.
4) Next comes the sermon by the pastor or other elders which can be 45-60 minutes in duration. Subjects on Christian living, prophecy, how to overcome problems and other many bible-related subjects are covered in depth.
5) After the sermon, we sing a last hymn and close the service with another short prayer. In the prayers, no set words are stated. The one giving the prayer chooses his own words which include giving God thanks for His blessings and asking for help in implementing what we have learnt in our lives.
Before and after Church services members fellowship with each other. There may be snacks before and after services, and sometimes there might be a potluck meal in which all members bring prepared dishes or other kinds of food to be shared among all.
No Rituals
Besides what I have stated about our weekly Church services, God’s Church does not conduct any rituals of any kind. But we have only three other special ceremonies.
Baptism
God’s Church practices water baptism for adults only which has been explained in Belief # 7.
After an individual repents of his sins, the next step for him on the road to salvation is to make a total commitment and solemn covenant with God to live His way of life from that day forward by keeping all His commandments, obeying His Law and living by every word of God (Matthew 4:4). One demonstrates that total commitment, with never going back, by being baptized. Peter mentioned this as the next step in his sermon on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:38, “38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Baptism is performed by total immersion in water because it pictures total surrender to God and completely burying the old self. An example of the baptism performed by Philip the evangelist is provided in Acts 8:35-39. When we are baptized, God forgives all our past sins.
After baptism we are dead to sin and should walk in newness of life as mentioned by Paul in Romans 6:3-6.
As peter said in Acts 2:38, the next step on the road to salvation after water baptism is receiving the gift of the holy spirit. God gives His holy spirit to those who are baptized by the laying on of hands of a genuine minister of God’s true Church and praying for the baptized person to receive the holy spirit. Examples are given in Acts 8:17; 9:17; 19:6; 2 Timothy 1:6. Acts 8:17, “17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”
This is a very simple ceremony after the individual has counseled with his pastor and decided to make a commitment to God’s way of life. In the ceremony the individual is totally immersed in water, which can be in a tub, pool or a stream. Then the minister lays his hands on his head and says a prayer asking God to forgive the individual’s sins, give the person His holy spirit because he has repented and is making a total commitment to live His way of life. The prayer may be anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute or two. That’s all there is to the baptism ceremony.
Passover
Once a year, only the baptized members keep the Passover commanded by Jesus Christ to be kept in remembrance of His sacrifice for the sins of mankind. This observance takes about an hour and a half.
The apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 11:1: “1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” So, Christians are to follow the example of Paul as he followed Jesus Christ and kept the Passover.
He writes in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26: “23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.”
Eating the bread and drinking the wine in the cup that Paul mentions are the new Passover symbols Jesus instituted. Paul says that he received this from the Lord Jesus Christ and delivered the custom of keeping the Passover the way Jesus kept it to the Church members.
Jesus instituted new Passover symbols and practices to teach Christians important truths about Himself and God's plan of salvation. He instituted the foot washing ceremony as a part of the Passover service and commanded us to follow His example. This is stated in John 13:13-15: “13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” The foot washing ceremony is an annual reminder of the importance of humble service to fellow human beings.
The unleavened bread we partake of during the Passover is a symbol of the broken body of Jesus Christ and the excruciating death He suffered for forgiveness of our sins, as well as our physical healing. He said in John 6:48-51:"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." Just as bread sustains us physically, symbolically eating the small 1-2-inch piece of unleavened bread symbolizes letting Jesus Christ live in us through the holy spirit to sustain us spiritually. We should now live an entirely new life, in total obedience to God’s law and overcoming sin.
The purpose of partaking of a small amount of wine as a symbol of the shed blood of Jesus Christ is to deeply impress on our mind that Jesus Christ’s blood was shed for the forgiveness of all the world’s sins.
Keeping God’s Annual Holy Days
God’s Church does not keep pagan holidays or festivals such as Christmas, Good Friday and Easter, Valentine’s day, New Year’s day or any others. We observe God’s seven annual holy days, which have been explained in great detail in my free eBook “God’s Plan of Salvation for Mankind” available on my religion website www.ChurchOfGodMessage.com.
During the holy days, we conduct Church services on the same format as our weekly church services. During the sermonette and sermon, the significance of the holy day in God’s plan of salvation is explained.
Tithes and Offerings
Church pastors have to be paid, Church facilities maintained, or halls rented for holding Church services, and the gospel (which means good news of the coming Kingdom of God) preached to the world which all require money. Members of God’s Church contribute for meeting all these expenses. We usually send in our tithes to Church headquarters or give to pastors anytime by check. Then on the seven annual holy days special offerings are taken up in which members contribute whatever amount they wish based on the blessings they have received from God during the year. We do not take offerings every week during church services.
Healing
Some Churches, particularly Pentecostal Churches go through rituals for instantly healing people which all appear to be fraudulent. God’s Church does not do such things. We know God heals and the process for seeking God’s intervention for doing so is stated in James 5:14-15, “14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
When we ask God to heal the sick, the sick person merely discusses the situation with the pastor or an ordained elder. The pastor or elder then takes his small two-inch bottle of olive oil out that he usually carries in his pocket, puts a dab of the olive oil on his finger, applies it to the forehead of the sick person, then says a 30 second to one-minute-long prayer to ask God to intervene and heal the sick person. Then the matter is left in God’s hands to heal the sick person. There is nothing more complicated or ritualistic about it. Individuals in the Church are asked to remember the sick persons in their daily prayers to God to heal them. Members do get healed of deadly diseases. There is no dramatic pushing or shoving the sick person on his forehead to heal him as we see being shown on TV in Pentecostal churches.
Blessing of the Little Children
Infants and little children are prone to danger of injury and even death. God’s Church believes in asking God in prayer to protect little children from harm by setting His angels about them. That ceremony to ask God for protection of little children is called “blessing of the little children.” This is done only once in a little child’s life who can be a newborn or up to 12 years of age who has never been blessed before. The minister lays his hands on the child and prays to God to protect the child in his or her life from every kind of danger and set His angels about that child. This ceremony is conducted once a year, usually on the second sabbath after the Feast of Tabernacles. This allows members sufficient time to return home from observing the Feast of Tabernacles in other cities so that the ceremony can be held on the same day in the local congregations for all the newborns and other children who have never been blessed previously.
I hope individuals who want to follow good Christianity can take guidance from the way God’s Church practices it and avoid becoming victims of charlatans and frauds masquerading as Christian pastors.
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