As Mr. Gerald Weston pointed out in a sermon recently published by Living Church of God (LCG), Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong often started his holy day sermons by asking the question, "Why are we here?".
On a holy day, why are we here? Why do we assemble for holy day services?
We are here because Mr. Armstrong believed the Bible more than the Church.
The Church of God Seventh Day did not keep the holy days.
Mr. Armstrong knew Christ was the head of the Church of God. But he never assumed that the Church of God leadership correctly followed Jesus Christ. Christ leads the Church through the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and circumstances, but Church of God ministers and leaders do not always follow where Jesus Christ leads. Mr. Armstrong never assumed that the doctrines of the true Church of God were all correct. He never assumed that the Church had the right interpretation of scripture. If he saw something in the Bible different from what the Church taught, he believed the Bible, not the Church. He believed God and His word more than men, even the leadership and ministry of the true Church of God.
So when he saw that the Bible taught that we should keep the holy days, he believed God, not the Church.
That is why we are here.
I often ask people which Mr. Armstrong they think was the correct one. 1930s, 1950s, 1980s, etc. Perhaps, the one who kept Pentecost on Monday... Ordained church ministers who cannot grow or repent are not effective. So, why are we where we find ourselves? Do we back the Church's commission, or do we find issues that divide us more important?
ReplyDeleteGood point.
ReplyDeleteMr. Armstrong often changed his own teaching because He followed the Bible. If we claim to hold fast to the principles that made him a Philadelphian, we should follow that example and make changes to doctrine to follow the Bible. We should let God teach us new things. We should grow in the knowledge of God. Mr. Armstrong set an example we should learn from.
Mr. Weston asked, as Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong usually did on God's annual Holydays: "Why are we here?" Whereas, Anon, September 11, 2021 at 10:27 AM, asked: "...which Mr. Armstrong they think was the correct one. 1930s, 1950s, 1980s, etc. Perhaps, the one who kept Pentecost on Monday...?"
ReplyDeleteIn Leviticus 23, God instructed Moses to:
:2 "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, [Concerning] the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim [to be] holy convocations, [even] these [are] my feasts.
:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day [is] the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work [therein]: it [is] the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
:4 These [are] the feasts of the LORD, [even] holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons."
The children of Israel, as do we, attended those holy convocations, basically public meetings, with others because God commanded it. HWA knew that.
Yes, HWA knew why he attended on Holydays, and he believed, but how did he believe?
"And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power," Ephesians 1:19
HWA , by the power of God's Spirit (Zech 4:6), was there at God's holy convocations on God's Holydays and always set that fine example for us.
Regarding "...which Mr. Armstrong they think was the correct one. 1930s, 1950s, 1980s, etc. Perhaps, the one who kept Pentecost on Monday...?", why would one choose a specific time or year for whatever HWA, by God's Spirit, believed?
HWA was God's servant, and he served God and those of us who were part of the former WCG to the best of his ability as God so inspired him to do that. Was HWA perfect? no, and neither are we. Did HWA sin? Yes, and so do we. HWA shared the Bible back-up as to why the change was made from a Monday Pentecost to a Sunday Pentecost and that still appears valid to this day. HWA did grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and so did we. Did HWA know all things? No, and neither do we. We all did the best we could/can with what we knew/know. We keep the good, and move on, while God's will is being done in our lives.
John