Pastor’s Comments August-September-October, 2018 The POWER of Deception and Darkness “He has DELIVERED us from the ‘POWER’ of DARKNESS.” Colossians 1:13 By Alton B. Don Billingsley “Take Heed that NO ONE Deceives YOU!” Upon viewing the buildings of the Temple, Jesus Christ spoke to His disciples of the coming time when they would be completely destroyed (they were—70 A. D.). Later, He was asked three most important questions: 1 Matthew 24:3 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be SIGN of Your coming, and of the End of the Age (the 6,000 years allotted to this age, II Peter 3:8)?” As important as these questions were, and their desire for the immediate answers, Jesus Christ made known to them something even more important for them to know than the answers. He spoke of the great danger they would be facing and others in future generations throughout this age of 6,000 years— ‘the POWER of deception’, that conceivably could destroy their hope of salvation: Matthew 24:4 v.4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Take HEED that NO ONE DECEIVES YOU. For MANY will come in My Name, saying (acknowledging), ‘I am the Christ,’ and will DECEIVE MANY.” This warning should enable the Elect People of God to grasp the ever-increasing danger of deception that comes in many and various ways through Satan’s use of men—usually well known, respected, and trusted (cf. Acts 20:17-30)! All the more reason to be very, very, careful! Jesus Christ said to BEWARE of these false prophets, or teachers, for they will come to God’s people appearing in lamb’s clothing with a wide range of attractive offers to entice them to become members in their corporate churches, such as: services they can attend, fellowship with friends, summer camps for the youth, etc. He also said that inwardly they are ravenous wolves seeking whom they may devour spiritually (Matthew 7:1-20; I Peter 5:8). It should also be understood the deceived do not know they have been deceived (II Timothy 3:13). As such, they are willing instruments in Satan’s plans to fulfill them in seeking to destroy God’s people. The Horseman on the White Horse Jesus Christ parallels the warning of deception with what He led the Apostle John to write about the White Horse: Revelation 6:1-2 v.1 “Now I saw when the Lamb had opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder. ‘Come and see.’ v.2 “And I looked, and, behold, a White Horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering (the people of the world: first wave— 2 the 1st century) and to conquer (the second wave: 1483 A. D. Martin Luther; the third wave: To cover any sin, he would follow up with the Catholic Church, [who now has over one billion members in their grasp] HLH).” The Horseman on the White Horse Identified The following quotes make known the symbolic meaning of the Horseman on the White Horse and how it has been used by Satan the devil to bring the power of spiritual darkness upon the world: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Ambassador College Department of Theology, 1973, “A counterfeit Christianity”, pages 14-16, “In the 1st century true Christians witnessed a counterfeit Christianity creeping in, deceiving many. Such religious deception has now increased in intensity until the whole world has become deceived about the true message of Christ. By the time of the end, your Bible says that Satan the devil ‘deceiveth the whole world’ (Revelation 12:9). … “Your Bible identifies Satan’s ministers as being professing Christians! They don’t appear Satanic, of course. They appear as ‘angels of light.’ They look like the white horse of Christ’s return, but they are in truth a clever counterfeit of the true Christ. “Paul isn’t warning us against obviously false religions—such as animism, Eastern occult sects, outright Satan worship, or bizarre semi-Christian cults—but rather against a subtle counterfeit. Counterfeits, like bogus money, attempt to be as close as possible to the original, yet with subtle flaws discernible only to experts. Counterfeit Christianity is the same. It may appear Biblical or Christ-like, but subtle flaws exist throughout its beliefs. “The horseman aboard the white horse in Revelation 6 is just such a counterfeit.” End of Quotes Former Ministers of the Worldwide Church of God One might wonder how the horseman on the white horse was enabled to ride into the Worldwide Church of God and bring about the power of spiritual darkness on the ministry and membership? It began after the death of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong when a few ministers from the Worldwide Church of God attended the Azusa Pacific Theological College and were introduced and indoctrinated into the pagan teachings of Protestantism. 3 It was said that two of those ministers who were very close to Mr. Tkach, Sr., Joe Tkach Jr. and Michael Feazzel, told him what they had been taught through the years was wrong. It was reported that he then said, “If we are wrong then we have to change.” The Deadly Embrace of Satan via Protestantism The process of making the radical changes began almost immediately as the following quote makes known: Wikipedia Free Dictionary: “As early as 1988, Joseph W. Tkach Sr. began to make doctrinal changes, at first quietly and slowly, but then openly and radically in January 1995. The doctrinal changes were presented as new understandings of Christmas and Easter,[18] Babylon and the harlot,[19] British Israelism,[20] Saturday Sabbath,[21] and other doctrines.” End of Quote After eight years the process has been successfully completed (1986-1994). The Worldwide Church of God had been transformed during those years into the deadly embrace of Satan the devil via Protestantism—daughters of the Catholic Church (Revelation 17:5; 2:22-23). Except for the few faithful people of God, the blindness of deception had covered all of the membership and ministry. However, not all of them were willing to accept all of the deceptive pagan teachings, but did accept a few of them. Whereas they once had been enlightened by God’s Holy Spirit to understand the true teachings of God (type and duality with ancient Israel, cf. Isaiah 63:11), they returned back into the world from whence they had come having eagerly accepted once again the pagan Protestant beliefs, under the guise or masquerade of them being called: “The New Teachings!” But upon close examination it becomes easy to see the ‘New Teachings’ are no different than the ones they had formerly believed, disproved, and rejected, but now eagerly accepting them once again—having made a full circle! To illustrate: At the time of the break a local elder asked me what I thought of the New Teachings? I replied, “Mr. _____ there are those who feel they had disproved them.” He wrinkled up his face and very sincerely said to me, “I thought I did too!” To further illustrate this power of deception, consider the truthful quotes from the writers of the theology department of the above booklet, the 4-horsemen. Though they understood and wrote the truth in that booklet about DECEPTION, they walked away from their understanding and use by God after 1995. They were swallowed up once again by the very subject they had written about while joining the others who had also been blinded. Were it not for the understanding from God, this would be very difficult to understand— a real flip-flop—enough to make a person’s head swim! 4 Many Churches Developed from the Destruction of the Worldwide Church of God From among the known, respected, and trusted ministers of the former Worldwide Church of God, a few began their own individual churches with varying beliefs, such as: PCG, Global, later LCG, UCG, UCGWA, RCG, COGAIC, etc. Many thousands of the former members connected with one and then another, depending primarily on the recognition and former high office of the leader (cf. I Corinthians 1:10- 11). The deceived ministers from among these groups who did not accept the fullness of the pagan Protestant beliefs and teachings by Mr. Tkach, did accept a few and began using them to replace the doctrinal teachings Jesus Christ used Mr. Armstrong to restore within His Church. A few of their changes: such as a two-fold gospel (meaning the teaching of the Gospel but added to it the inclusion of Jesus Christ as part of the Gospel to be preached), wrong Passover service (explained later), voting (government by a board of elders who would vote for a leader), born again, etc. Following the surreptitious plan of Mr. Tkach, Sr., they tried to soothe the membership by claiming they were still following most of the restored doctrinal teachings, but only making needed edits of a few of them. This was a hypocritical and deceitful lie for they not only edited but changed them into pagan teachings. All of these men rejected God’s late apostle, either outright, or in subtle ways, while claiming they were still following those doctrinal teachings. Two of them became real counterfeits with their claims of fully following the restored teachings, those with which they could agree, while honoring God’s use of Mr. Armstrong— ‘in name’, but not in reality! As the result many thousands of men and women became members in their churches (more about them later).