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Fifth Scroll: STABBED IN THE BACK !!!

Copyright © Jules Dervaes

September 10, 1987

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Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. (Psalm 41:9)

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God. (Psalm 55:12-14)

King David realized the treachery that comes from within. The Apostle Paul understood that peril and WARNED the Church:

I know that AFTER I LEAVE, savage wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock. EVEN FROM YOUR OWN NUMBER men will arise and DISTORT THE TRUTH in order to draw away disciples AFTER THEM. So be on your guard! (Acts 20:29-31)

Would you listen to Paul? Would you listen to Peter?

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as THERE WILL BE FALSE TEACHERS among you. They will SECRETLY introduce destructive heresies … Many will follow their SHAMEFUL ways and will bring the WAY OF TRUTH into disrepute. (2 Pet. 2:1-2)

WOULD YOU LISTEN
TO JESUS CHRIST?

And, Jesus warned:

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. (Matt. 7:15-16)

By HIS fruit Mr. Herbert Armstrong has been recognized as a true Apostle of Christ. Would you listen to him?

NOTICE The GOOD NEWS, October ’79:

LET US BE CAREFUL LEST ANY OF THIS APPLY TO THE MINISTRY OF GOD’S CHURCH! (Ezekiel 34) “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord ETERNAL unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? [with the Word of God] … The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick” (verses 2-4). Some of our ministry wanted to do away with healing. God put HEALING in His Church. He put it in 1,900 years ago through the original apostles. He put it in today’s era of the Church through me, His apostle. DO NOT BE GUILTY OF NEGLECT IN THIS IMPORTANT DOCTRINE. (page 6)

NOTICE The GOOD NEWS, October ’81:

I am shocked—saddened—discouraged—hurt! … Brethren, I was shocked. It was like being stabbed in the heart. (page 4)

What hurt Mr. Armstrong so deeply was his discovery that faith in healing had once again fallen into neglect. Had his earlier pleading fallen on deaf ears? The Pastor General then wrote this stern WARNING to the members:

But the passage in Matthew 25 shows those individuals in it (the Church)—or who profess to be in it—and are lukewarm and lacking in faith in God’s Word will have the door slammed in their faces!

Let the truth be known that God’s Apostle fought long and hard to establish and keep physical healing as a belief of the Worldwide Church of God. NOTICE these references:

TOMORROW WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE, p. 83
INCREDIBLE HUMAN POTENTIAL, p. 111
AUTOBIOGRAPHY VOL. 1, p. 332
MYSTERY OF THE AGES, pp. 211–212

Then when his battle seemed lost, it felt to Mr. Armstrong as if he were being “stabbed in the heart.” However, this phrase implies that there would have taken place face-to-face, man-to-man confrontation. NOT SO!!! What really did occur was a cowardly, behind-the-back act of deception. Lurking in the dark and waiting for the weak is always the best way for jackals to hunt. Alive, Mr. Armstrong was too mighty a prey for the jackals themselves to bring down. So they waited for old age to take his life before moving in to dismember his “body”—the body of beliefs to which he had faithfully committed his life, in order to teach his spiritual family. Now, in his death, his “close friends” are destroying that life.

For, they had played the game well. They had sought the prize; and now, finally, it was theirs. Without “the lion” to protect “the sheep,” all is easy pickings.

Since they don’t have to contend with Mr. Armstrong any longer, there will be A REAL FEAST for the assailants who could not manage the decency to openly confront him WHEN HE COULD HAVE KICKED THEM OUT!!! Cowering and compliant, they stealthily hid within “the fold” in order TO DECEIVE EVEN THE ELECT.

Didn’t THEY listen to what he was saying? NOTICE The GOOD NEWS, April ’79:

God COMMANDS that we all speak THE SAME THING! … All doctrines in the present Philadelphia era were put into the Church by Jesus Christ through His chosen apostle. … When Christ chose His apostle for this time, He chose one who … WILL NOT compromise or water down truths and doctrines Christ has given … (page 28)

The FOUNDATION has ALREADY been laid. (Eph. 2:20) That WORK had been COMPLETED—CEMENTED— CONCRETED! Mr. Armstrong FINISHED his job. And, IN MEMORIAM of him, the new Pastor General pointedly proclaimed:

I’m not here to fill the shoes of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, I’m here to FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE HE SET. … Pray that God would guide and direct me … that I can follow in those footsteps.

But the “footsteps” are NOT being followed! And the foundation is NOT being built on; instead, it’s being tampered with and perilously undermined. The TRUNK OF THE TREE is rotting from within. OLD, REJECTED ERROR is being swallowed as new truth just as a dog returns to its VOMIT!!! (Read 2 Peter 2:17-22)

How did his pupils WALK TOGETHER with Mr. Armstrong when they were NOT AGREED with him? (Amos 3:3) How could it be GOOD AND PLEASANT for his brothers to dwell together with him in DISUNITY? (Psalm 133:1) The answer in one word: HYPOCRISY.

Let this INDICTMENT stand:

But you have TURNED FROM the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have VIOLATED the covenant with Levi … So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the People, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law. (Mal. 2:8,9)

Let this TRUTH stand: Acts 5:29.

AT THE TOP of the government of God IS GOD. To follow the government of God means TO FOLLOW GOD!!! No one—NOT even the Pastor General—takes HIS PLACE.

Mr. Armstrong knew this and wrote:

But even Christ’s apostle has no authority to SHUT OFF the authority above him. … Authority does not END at any point under God the Father. (The PLAIN TRUTH, August ’79)

CONSIDER THIS 1987 FEAST MESSAGE:

Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour, all you beasts of the forest! Israel’s watchmen are BLIND, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. THEY ARE SHEPHERDS who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain. “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine! Let us drink out fill of beer! And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better.’” (Isaiah 56:9-12)

JESUS CHRIST SPEAKS:

Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may … go through the gates into the city… Outside are the dogs … everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Rev.22:12-15)

NOTE: Prior submission of this material has been made to the Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God.

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