Why the former faithful church of God is now napping in lukewarm spiritual sleep!
In two-prophetic parables the Lord prophesied of the time when certain of the ‘virgins’ would be ‘slumbering’.
This reference to a spiritual slumber when this portion of the affianced bride while waiting for the bridegroom will have left off their first love is fully covered in New Testament & Old Testament prophecy.
Notice first in the gospel of Matthew chapter 25:1-5; Here the scripture summarizes by stating “they all slumbered and slept”.
It is my belief that this refers to the ‘organizations’ of the former worldwide church of God that failed after Herbert Armstrong’s death in 1986 the PCG, RCG, UCG and all the offshoots that simply broke away due to the divisions within that former body of Christ. He came proclaiming the one true Gospel of the kingdom of God, and raised up a work that supported the getting out of the supreme message of God until his death.
Shortly after that time the new administration began to water down the doctrines of God’s church, when even faith itself was attacked and dismantled by them, and the prophesied falling away swung into full effect!
Some of the members of the church were able to meet together as in ancient times in family groups, some faithful, but mostly the church was now being sifted into their various folds of wise and unwise ‘virgins’.
Today there are over 400 ex-WCG groups calling themselves church of God this, or church of God that, and we also have been accused of being part of this cohort. We are not, and have kept separate to the corruptions of false ministers and members tooting their own horn on how much work they are doing while in disobedience to the very God they say they serve!
WHY ARE WE DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER?
We are no different by virtue of the fact that we are not above sin or are special in any way than others. The only identifiable difference that has emerged in the last 26-years is that all the “virgins” bar a few scattered faithful ones have rejected the corrections made to the keeping of God’s annual Sabbath festivals.
We are some who instigated the changes by being shown we were keeping wrong dates. As we all learned when coming into God’s true church, Sunday is not the 7th day Sabbath, nor any other day, just as God’s annual Sabbaths are to be kept and celebrated according to God’s own instructions in the books of the Law, but the dates the churches are now keeping are NOT the correct dates, and in fact are observed according to the traditions of Judaism who postpone God’s Sabbaths by their “Dehioth”, a set of four-rules which they say gives them the right to postpone the dates commanded of God so that it is not inconvenient to keep double high-days back to back, and other non-sensical “reasons”.
Thankfully we are not the only faithful few holding fast the faith once delivered unto the saints,(Jude 6) there others who also staunchly keep the provable doctrines of the Lord, even as stated in Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a (or only a) little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Q: What is His name? The Word!
Others like us do exist even today in the USA, Alabama, Texas, Florida, Nashville, in Australia that we know of and we are happy to pass on their details to inquirers.
THE CALLED, CHOSEN, AND FAITHFUL (Rev.17:14)
The promise to protect & deliver the faithful continues in Rev.3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation (Trial) which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell on the earth. Unfortunately, the blinded condition mentioned in Romans 11:7 that ‘Israel have not obtained that which he seeks for; but the election has obtained it, the rest were blinded according as God has given them the spirit of slumber… also connects IIThess.2:10-11. 2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Likewise ties to the following in Rev.3:16-19 concerning them who have become neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm through what is evidently a lack of love for the truth that they might be saved. Hence, God will chasten some whom He will account “worthy” to enter the coming time of horrors for the whole world!
A REMNANT ACCORDING TO ELECTION OF GRACE
What this manifests is a ‘remnant according to election’ as the apostle wrote under God’s inspiration (2Tim.3:16) in Romans.11 where Paul identified the same situation back in the time of the prophet Elijah when he thought he was serving God all alone, but God informed him that He, God had reserved unto Himself 7-thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal, and so it was I Paul’s time because God had not cast away His people which He foreknew, and if then so it is even today that there exists a remnant according to the election of grace.
This is confirmed in Romans chapter 9:23-29 where Paul quoted from Isaiah chapter 10:20-23 concerning the exceeding mercies of God to spare a faithful remnant even through the prophesied consumption!.
Further to this, Rom.11:1-5, 7-10. And Isaiah.29:6-10 & Isa.6:8-13 affirms the awesome purpose of God to bring spiritual Israel’s ‘virgins’, the called, chosen and faithful into the inheritance long purposed and fully prophesied of in all the prophets and by the apostles of our Lord.
The elect then are they that keep the word of God, who do not deny the word, the scriptures, nor find excuse to put their own spin on doctrine and the commandments of God. But, many, even most do today, refusing to acknowledge their sin, nor turn from their evil way regardless of the provable truths we have attempted time and time again to show these who reject what is now clearly a final Sabbath test for the ‘virgins’, because the sifting of the flocks has revealed without question this end-time test.
THE SIGN
Exo 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
The prophet Ezekiel was likewise inspired to show Israel how their captivity came about and was shown great visions, including this very sign. Eze 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. Eze 20:13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: …Eze 20:18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: Eze 20:19 I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; Eze 20:20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
What about so-called spiritual Israel? Are they really any different? Have they not all become lukewarm to the commands of God in this very lukewarm era?
What the LORD God spoke they rejected then as they do today. Notice:
Eze 44:24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
Did they hallow God’s Sabbaths? Did they hearken to the prophets then, and do “spiritual Israel” hearken to the truth of God’s faithful ministers today? No brethren, they have accused me of being too cleave by half for trying to show them their errors!
The scriptures I have called bread and butter scriptures are being fulfilled by this generation of the church, even as Ezekiel wrote in chapter 22 of his revelations by God saying: Eze 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are you reading this prepared to repent, turn around and accept correction? Or will you just flippantly become angry at the corrections of the LORD? The command to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of Christ includes being part of the elect where sometimes “difficult” choices mean coming out from among brethren who refuse the truth. Notice this final reminder of God;
Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Will you be among the wise or the unwise virgins?
