Dear Friends Letter
Copyright © Jules Dervaes
March 3, 1988
DEAR FRIENDS,
Momentous, turbulent times are just ahead for the world, AND for the Church, AND FOR YOU! Yet, Bible prophecy remains—for the most part—a mystery. Dare you face this fact—that we grope along, still in darkness! Dare you admit that the Worldwide Church of God does NOT have “all the answers”!
For many years now we have counted on it as the only channel to watch to receive “THE NEWS.” To continue to do so is to discount all the biblical evidence that this Church, during these CURRENT events, will have LOST its license to broadcast GOD’S SIGNAL!
As for the prophets who lead MY PEOPLE astray… Therefore night will come over you, WITHOUT visions, and darkness, WITHOUT divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is NO ANSWER from God. (Micah 3:5-7)
Consider that we are now closer, ever closer—by more than one-half century—to the return of Christ from the time when Mr. Armstrong began his broadcast. Yet, for DECADES now, NO major, significant new knowledge of prophecy has been forthcoming.
Isn’t that strange? Since Christ’s Advent is to be preceded by ever-increasing “labor pains,” shouldn’t His servants be able (as midwives would) to inform you of the PROGRESSIVE SIGNS of “delivery”?
Yes, the WCG has made, and continues to make, public those keys to that GENERAL prophetic knowledge which Mr. Armstrong earlier discovered. However, it has NOT been able to further advance that knowledge into SPECIFIC areas; it has NOT pinpointed ANY new sign of the times, in this MOST critical of all times. WHY?
Consider that, if these are the last days, “something” DEFINITELY should be happening because events would be SPEEDING to a climax. How can it really be possible that “everything goes on” just as before? (2 Peter 3:4) The days of 1972, 1975, 1979, and 1986 have come and gone. So, what is this “saying” the Church has?
“The days go by and every vision comes to nothing.” (Ezekiel 12:22)
The faithful God of Amos 3:7 is bound to inform His servants of the DETAILS of His plan BEFORE they happen. So why has the WCG become as quiet as a mouse? Why has it been acting like the proverbial ostrich? Can it be that IT has NOTHING TO SAY? Is it possible that God (YES!!! GOD) COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, but that the WCG—repeatedly refusing to TUNE INTO His wavelength—is NO LONGER acting as His servant???
For when I called, NO ONE answered, when I spoke, NO ONE listened. (Isaiah 66:4)
Could it be that the WCG hotly pursues only the AP and UPI sources of news while ignoring the BIBLE? That it is obsessed with producing CBS-type documentaries at the expense of examining the BIBLE? Such an approach has made the Church little different from SECULAR news agencies; the exception is that it can manage, every now and then, to plug in some information which its founder had bequeathed to it.
Why, instead of leading the way of Christ, is the WCG now trying so hard to IMITATE the way of the world? It used to be that The PLAIN TRUTH was ahead of TIME (the magazine). Then, it just kept up with TIME. But NOW it is lagging behind—following TIME.
The Church’s The GOOD NEWS magazine is a pathetic ghost of its former self. And The WORLD TOMORROW show serves up only “left-over” news along with “warmed-over” prophecy. What a sick caricature the WCG presents! It has become an IMPOSTOR!!!
Because it has ABANDONED the use of God’s SWORD, the WCG has lost “the CUTTING edge”:
The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Heb. 4:12)
Through the Church’s failure “TO WIELD” the Word of God, its message has been diluted. It can now only whimper instead of cry ALOUD. (Isaiah 58:1) Does the WCG shy away from handling the DOUBLE-edged BIBLE because it really is afraid that IT MIGHT CUT ITSELF? Does the Church NOT venture more deeply into God’s word for fear that it might emerge MAIMED?
Having become very adept at using the familiar warn-the-world passages, the WCG relishes handling those parts of the Bible that CUT the world. With flamboyant fanfare the Church goes on the attack, swinging the SWORD’S ONE edge against Christmas, Easter, etc. Against a hapless foredoomed opponent, it marshals all its media forces to claim an easy, one-sided victory.
But the Bible cuts BOTH ways!!! And, when the WCG comes face-to-face with scriptures that could CUT the Church, it suddenly becomes very anemic and strangely inept! Does it quickly and energetically take on the challenge of correction pointed out with that OTHER edge of God’s SWORD? No! Instead, it spurns the Bible. Does the WCG boldly and diligently take up the charge to be trained in righteousness by Scripture? No! Instead, it does NOT EVEN CONSIDER IT.
Imagine a church—which claims to be “of God”—SCARED of searching for truth! Imagine it IN HIDING—evading a biblical challenge! Imagine it MUTED and FLEEING FROM God’s Word! Yes, this is the WCG which, before all to witness, HAS ADMITTED—BY ITS SILENCE!—that it won’t speak the words of God. Does the Worldwide Church of God, then, follow the EXAMPLE of God?
Although Jesus knew He was the Son of God and did not have to explain anything to one He knew to be the Devil, STILL when He was questioned by Satan HE DID ANSWER!!! He USED Scripture to answer: “It is written …” and, when Satan used a Bible verse to test Him, Jesus ANSWERED with another scripture: “It is ALSO written …” (Matt. 4:4, 7 and10). Thus, in the battle with His adversary, Jesus did not run away but met the challenge, response-for-response, using God’s Word.
So, even if the WCG considers an inquiry “satanic,” still it should respond AS JESUS DID. However, it has NOT! Under fire, and being hammered at, the WCG recoils from the word of God and retreats from the field of battle.
“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:29)
Error—if it is error—should be able to be REFUTED by using the Bible—OR GOD’S WORD IS ABSOLUTELY USELESS AND IMPOTENT!
Why, then, hasn’t the WCG made the effort to fight with the Word of God to combat “my error”? To assume that the Pastor General (or any of his staff) HAS REFUTED “my message” is utterly wrong. Although it has been duly presented IN FULL COMPLIANCE with church government, the announcement of the Laodicean Era was NEVER CONSIDERED AT ALL!
Therefore, to believe that this problem has been settled “at the top” is a mistake. Still NO ONE—NOT Mr. Tkach, NOT one of the top evangelists, NOT any of the hundreds of ministers contacted thus far—HAS EVER RESPONDED WITH SCRIPTURAL PROOF that this message is false. How completely useless and impotent the church ministry is!!!
This silence of the WCG is proof—undeniable, VISIBLE evidence—that it now stands convicted of REBELLION against God. The Church has NEVER submitted this matter to ITS SPIRITUAL HEAD; it has NEVER consulted THE LIVING CHRIST. By refusing to take this biblical dispute to the PROPER, FINAL AUTHORITY, the WCG continues to flagrantly DISOBEY the very government of God!!!
Won’t YOU please take this message to Jesus Christ? Won’t you, at this critical time, humbly go before God, submit your will to His, and let Him lead you through His Word? This letter signifies my prayer that you will respond to His LIGHT!
Yours sincerely,
Jules Dervaes