Dig Deeper: CHRISTENDOM Series: Armstrongism

Thursday, July 9, 2015

CHRISTENDOM Series: Armstrongism

Armstrongism

(Armstrongism)

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:11

Movement started by Herbert W. Armstrong. Armstrong became a member of the Church of God (7th Day). He was eventually kicked out for some of his strange teachings. using the radio, he generated a following that became the Worldwide Church Of God (1934). At it's peak it had over 200,000 members. Armstrong claimed to be the end time return of the prophet Elijah.
He claimed to be a prophet, was a Sabbatarian, and taught British Israelism (the idea that the German tribes were of the Assyrians, 7 that the British Empire were of the tribe of Ephraim & America of the tribe of Manasseh. So he believed America, founded by the English & also a large German population, were the people of God).

Also, that the millennium will be here on earth, governed by the Saints. That the majority will be saved due to the judgment AFTER the resurrection. They will get a second chance. Also a strong believer in keeping the Jewish ceremonial days. Set up a system of 3 different "tithes". Believed in soul sleep. Ministers were required to eat at separate tables so as to avoid the laity because Armstrong thought familiarity would breed disrespect for the ministers by the people.
Before his death in 1986, he appointed his successor who would divide the church and lead a group to become Grace Communion International, which would switch to a Sunday keeping church & reject almost everything of Armstrongism.
His eschatology included the notion that Germany & the Papacy would control the Europeans, who would then conquer the U.S. & Britain, forcing them into slavery. During this time of trouble, faithful church members are to flee to the ancient city of Petra in modern day Jordan. After 3 & a half years, Christ returns to lead His Saints to victory over this new Roman Empire that conquered the U.S. & Britain. During the millennium, Christ & His Saints rule the earth & anyone who strays from will be

inflicted with plague. Then follows the 2nd resurrection for the wicked of the past, where they appear before the judgment seat and are given a second chance when presented with the Gospel truth.The only people that will really be lost are at a 3rd resurrection--for former members of the Worldwide Church Of God (WWCG) who left the faith. This sort of smacks of Mormonism & Jehovah's Witnesses eschatology to a degree.
Armstrongism has elements of a Sabbatarian/Evangelical movement, but strays in several ways into what constitutes "others" on the Christian spectrum. Such as a diverse view of the trinity, setting up God at the head, Christ as the head of the church, and Armstrong himself as 3rd in command as the human leader under Christ. He didn't believe the Holy Spirit to be part of the Trinity/Godhead, but rather a force God sends out. (called a Binitarianism). They also oppose participating in pagan-rooted holidays such as Christmas, Easter, New Years, Valentines, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, etc. Also believed in Gap Creationism (gaps of many years between the days of creation).

After the split-up of the Worldwide Church of God, here are some of the divisions that still follow Armstrongism.
Church of God, the Eternal - 1975, split from the WWCG so as to celebrate Pentecost on a Monday rather than a Sunday. About 400 members.

Church of God, International - 1978, founded by Armstrong's son, Ted, who was excommunicated from the Worldwide Church of God by Armstrong himself for adultery, harassment of women & leadership quarrels. For the most part they follow Armstrongism, except rejecting the teaching of having to flee to Petra in the end times. About 2,000 members.
House of Yahweh - 1980, split from WWCG in Texas to follow "Buffalo Bill" Hawkins. Considered very cult like & dangerous by observers. Hawkins promoted rebuilding the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. They believe Christ was born a human then became divine at baptism. They also rewrote the Bible to remove things they view as pagan in it. He predicted a nuclear war would usher

in the end times in 1986, causing his followers over in Kenya to flee the country. Predicted again that it would happen in 2008. Hawkins pled guilty to child labor laws in 2009. Hawkins changed his first name to Yisrayl. He is accused of mind control and runs his organization in a similar fashion to the Church of Scientology. About 300 members.
Christian Biblical Church of God - 1983, followers out of the WWCG after pastor Fred Coulter, who uses some books by Ellen White of the SDA's. About 500 members.
Philadelphia Church of God - 1989, an early offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God, during the early days of drifting away from Armstrongism. Their primary trigger for their split

was when the WWCG voted to accept the Trinity.
Church of the Great God - 1992, followed a local pastor out of the WWCG during it's internal shift from Armstrongism. About 400 members.
Global Church of God - 1992, splinter group who personally followed Meredith out of the WWCG. Mr. Meredith was one of the first evangelists for the WWCG & had a personal following with the church worldwide. It is also a splinter group that has suffered the most loss recently. About 1,000 members.
God’s Church, Worldwide - 1995, prefer to use only Armstrong's writings and none of their own leaders. About 300 members.
Sabbath Church of God - 1995, small splinter group from the WWCG in North

Carolina when the WWCG broke from Sabbath keeping.
Independent Church of God - 1995, founded by Ron Dart, a radio evangelist for the Church of God, International, who left over sexual misconduct by leadership. About 1,000 members.
United Church of God - 1995, the largest offshoot from the aftermath of the Worldwide Church of God among those still adherents to Armstrongism. Their belief as to why there has been drastic shrinkage in the Sabbatarian Armstrong movement & keepers of the feast days, is because God has caused a rise in Messianic Jews (Jews who convert to Christianity but sometimes keep the old festivals). They teach that God has simply replaced His faltering Church with Jews to rise up and fill in these gaps. About 20,000 members.
Living Church of God - 1998, followed Mr. Meredith out of the Global Church of God

when he was fired by the board over leadership issues. About 8,000 members.
Intercontinental Church of God - 1998, small splinter from the Church of God, International which followed Herbert Armstrong's son Ted out of it's parent church over leadership issues & more accusations of sexual misconduct by Ted Armstrong. About 200 members.
Restored Church of God - 1999, followers of former WWCG TV evangelist David C. Pack of the Global Church of God who formed his own church. Strong believers in Armstrongism. One of the faster growing, but still small, splinter groups.
Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom of God - 2000, small splinter church from the United Church of God in Toledo, Ohio. Their leader (Weinland) gathered a following who believed he was the end time Elijah. He predicted in 2008 that in 1335 days the end would begin........Weinland was indicted on tax evasion charges.
Church of God, a Worldwide Association - 2010, split from the United

Church of God.
End-Time Assembly - Followers of David Nix, who considers himself a living prophet. About 200 members.
Church of God, In Training for the Kingdom - add to Armstrongism the idea that praying for those in office is a sin. About 100 members.
Obedient Church of God - Their founder, Lawrence Nowell, has threatened to kill the disobedient. They have an online church. About 60 members.

CHRISTENDOM Series Outline Link:
http://master1844-dc.blogspot.com/2015/06/christendom-series-outline.html

What We BELIEVE

* And now abideth faith, hope, LOVE, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE. 1 Corinthians 13:13

* Genesis 1-11 is actual HISTORY

* The 10 Commandments WAS - IS - & WILL BE the LAW of GOD

* REVELATION is written in symbols for actual end time events

* The SANCTUARY lays out the Plan of Salvation (Justification / Outer Court + Sanctification / Inner Court = preparation for your Judgment / Most Holy Place)

* The solemnity of the 7th day SABBATH (Saturday) was NEVER transferred to the 1st day of the week (Sunday) by God

* The modern charismatic movement is a counterfeit Latter Rain

* The Mark-of-the-beast will involve some sort of counterfeit Sabbath

* "Soul Sleep" for the State of the Dead (dead until the resurrection)

* The Godhead (Trinity) are 3 separate beings who work together in unity

* The GODHEAD's Existence is ETERNAL (in other words-The arrow of time stretching for Infinity in both directions)

* The GREEN RELIGION (modern environmental movement) is a cleverly cloaked spiritualism for the "sophisticated" modern world

* The Little Horn of Daniel & the Beast of Revelation (a.k.a. the anti-christ to some) is one & the same institution - the same institution the Reformers declared it to be during the Reformation

* Marriage is between ONE man & ONE woman

* The Emerging Church movement -- & spiritual formation are modern day GNOSTICISM & have NO place within Christendom

* Women Ordination is an ASSAULT on the foundation of the Godhead (as God is the head of Christ in an ecclesiastical setting - so too was the man placed as the head of the woman in an ecclesiastical setting -- outside this setting they are equal as Christ is with the Father)

* Baptism is by Immersion at an age of consent

* Justification + Sanctification = TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH....(Justification) Neither do I condemn thee: (Sanctification) go, and sin no more. John 8:11

* God is NOT homophobic -- rather He is sexual immorality phobic (HE places adultery, fornication, rape, bestiality, cross dressing AND homosexuality ALL in the same category)

* "HELL" is NOT an eternally burning place -- rather it is the Lake of Fire where the wicked will be destroyed together once & for all when this Great Controversy between God & His opponent comes to an end....God does NOT torment people for eternity

* The "Great Controversy" theme is the prism to make sense of this universal conflict between God & His opponent, of which we play a part on this space fabric of time as a "spectacle" (as Paul calls it) before all watching

* Biblical "speaking in tongues" was a GIFT of known foreign languages for Evangelization (not the gibberish "tongues" uttered in churches today)

* Historicism is the way to interpret eschatology from the view of the prophetic porch (NOT preterism, futurism or idealisim)

* The 3 Angel's Message (of Rev.14) is the central Mission of the SDA Church & the Sanctuary Doctrine (& it's sub-doctrine of the Investigative Judgment) is the Cornerstone Doctrine of the Denomination

* The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is a SYMBOLIC Remembrance

* The 2nd Advent of Christ will be a literal, visible, physical return where EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM & that is when the dead will rise & the living be caught up-- Not at some sort of a "secret rapture" before His return...

* On the Nature of Christ - He was born with our sinful fallen nature / propensities--yet did NOT sin - hence His ability to be the spotless Lamb of God - the Lamb without blemish to cover ours

* 7th Day Adventism did not rise up at the end of the time-frame of Daniel 8:14 to be just another denomination to hang upon the wall of Christendom...

* The Dispensations around the Cross are 1) Before the Cross the Plan of Redemption laid out in the earthly Sanctuary in Types & Symbols patterned after the Heavenly Sanctuary {from the Altar of Sacrifice to the Mercy Seat} 2) After the Cross shifts to the REALITY of the Heavenly Sanctuary {from the Cross to the Judgment Seat}. ---- We REJECT the Dispensationalism that says "before the cross we were saved by the Law & after the Cross by Grace" ---- (the reason is because on BOTH SIDES OF THE CROSS we were never saved by the Law and always saved by Grace)

* We REJECT the DISGUSTING "Prosperity Gospel" as many see TV (so-called) Evangelists preach today

* Justification & Sanctification Simplified - God draws the BOUNDARIES with His LAW. When we step outside of them it's called SIN. (He offers JUSTIFICATION to remedy it). But afterwards He expects us to step back within those Boundaries (called SANCTIFICATION ).

* EndTime "BABYLON" - Confederacy of the Counterfeit Trinity of the "Dragon", "Beast" & "False Prophet" of Rev.16:13. (Also a term of Reference for the Fallen Condition of Christendom)

*The OLD TESTAMENT is simply the NEW TESTAMENT in Types & Symbols- therefore both are valid for Study & Doctrine.

* "A Minister's words are only of Value as long as his word's are an Echo of the Word's of God." {Dwayne Lemon}

* We REJECT the Church being involved with the ECUMENICAL movement....where do you see in Scripture God's people ever being told to be Ecumenical with neighboring religions?.. Nowhere....

*We believe in "Replacement Theology", that "Israel" in prophetic terms and spiritually is God's people...NOT Literal, Modern Day Israel in the Middle East.

* Tithing is Biblical: MONEY (1/10 to God) TIME (1/7 to God- the 7th day of the week, called the SABBATH)

* Soteriology: We believe in total FREE WILL as a component. - Therefore we Reject Sacramentalism, Predestination, Once-Saved-Always-Saved, Universalism & Pluralism.

* The HEALTH MESSAGE-Live it as best you can. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest....be in health... 3 John 1:2

* And always remember - "If you feel yourself to be the greatest sinner, Christ is just what you need, the greatest Savior. Lift up your head and look away from yourself, away from your sin, to the uplifted Savior; away from the poisonous, venomous bite of the serpent to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world." Ellen White {JUSTIFICATION}

* "God has given us His commandments, not only to be believed in, but to be obeyed." Ellen White {SANCTIFICATION}

* SUMMARY: "Every chapter and every verse of the Bible is a communication from God to men." Ellen White

* WARNING: "...by beholding we become changed. The mind gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell. It becomes assimilated to that which it is accustomed to love and reverence." Ellen White

Are Ashes Upon Your Lips?

The love of God still yearns over the one who has chosen to separate from Him, and He sets in operation influences to bring him back to the Father's house.
--Have you, reader, chosen your own way?
--Have you wandered far from God?
--Have you sought to feast upon the fruits of transgression, only to find them turn to ashes upon your lips?
Now that voice which has long been speaking to your heart but to which you would not listen comes to you distinct and clear, Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest; because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. Micah 2:10. Return to your Father's house. He invites you, saying, Return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee. Isa. 44:22.
E.G.W.