Should Accusers Be Answered?

Do You Believe Obvious Lies?

Section II – Do You Believe Obvious Lies?

BY DAVID C. PACK

Many today almost eagerly use and promote innuendo, rumors, outright lies and other forms of deception to confuse and divide God’s people—and the effect, ultimately, is to defeat their confidence in Christ’s ability to govern His Church. Others actively seek out slander (Psa. 4:2). When presented with such information, what do you do? What will you do?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Crucial Video Message (17:57)
SECTION II –
DO YOU BELIEVE OBVIOUS LIES?

In late December 2002, the FBI announced it had credible information that five potential terrorists had entered the United States from Canada. Photos were prominently displayed. Names were released. The result was that most of America heard about them. For at least a week, and after intensive effort to find them, there was great concern about why these men could not be located.

But a dramatic announcement altered the unfolding drama of this story. The “informant” who had passed on his “tip” to the authorities admitted that it had all been a hoax. Astonishing! One lone man was able to invent a lie so monstrous that, quite literally, the entire world was put on notice of the possible alleged actions of these “five suspects.” Think of the time, money, energy and worry that went into the investigation of this story. I believed it. Most likely, you did, too. Yet, it was an absolute, BALD LIE!

On another occasion, this time in July 2004, a 22-year-old French woman reported to the authorities that she had been accosted by a gang of six teenagers at a suburban Paris train station.

She claimed that, with her 13-month-old toddler watching, the attackers, said to be Arab or African, cut off her hair with knives before tearing her shirt away and drawing swastikas on her belly. She also reported that no one on the train came to her rescue.

With anti-Semitic crimes already on the rise in France, the nation was stunned. President Chirac expressed outrage, as did many religious leaders. (I read it and was appalled.) The police called for anyone with information to come forward and assist the investigation. Any facts that could prove the account turned out to be lacking—no corroboration developed. Next, apparent inconsistencies appeared in the woman’s story.

Suddenly, she made a startling confession—she admitted that she had made it all up. None of it was true!

Needless to say, the backlash equaled the initial outrage. How could she do this? And why? What motivated her? Her answer: She simply wanted attention and more support from her parents and boyfriend. Again, astonishing!

World To Come on The True Church

Here was another completely bald lie, yet published by respectable news sources that had appeared so credible, so believable, so TRUE!

Did you learn anything from these incidents? Were you sobered by the power of lies? If you heard either of these stories, were you surprised that people could “make it all up”—and that so many could be fooled? Do you recognize that stories can sound perfectly credible—and yet be PURE FICTION?

Let me describe a common tactic used often in the business world. If a business owner wants to drive a competitor out of business, he simply starts a rumor that his competitor is having “financial trouble.” The goal is to make this a self-fulfilling prophecy—and often this is exactly what happens. Customers or potential customers begin to pull back from business dealings with the targeted victim, thinking they could get hurt if he folds unexpectedly. Then, if the victim does fold, ironically, the credibility of the slanderous liar who set the chain of events into motion—is actually enhanced! In the end, the liar can appear to have been an authoritative source on the matter.

Two Types of Liars

Get this! There are two types of people who lie—and you must understand the distinction!

First, there are those who lie out of panic or fear, usually on “short notice.” Caught by surprise in a matter, many (actually almost all people) will cover themselves with a kind of reflex “knee-jerk” falsehood. (Of course, the Christian tries to never do this, and repents when he does.) This kind of lie is born largely of self-preservation. The person may feel himself threatened if he told the truth, so he protects himself via a “snap-decision” lie. Such untruths are easier to understand and to forgive.

While wrong—sin is sin!—this could be likened to the thief who steals to feed his children, instead of due to greed. God made a distinction in the Old Testament between thieves, and the punishment for the latter (repaying, plus 100%) is five times greater than the former (repaying, plus 20%).

But there is a second type of liar—and these are very, very different from the first. These are those who maliciously invent murderous lies for the sole purpose of harming the innocent. Their goal is to inflict maximum damage against one or more specific people, or against an organization or institution, perhaps a former employer. These are not merely those who told a lie—something they did—these are liars. In other words, this is something they ARE, not just something they do or did. However wrong it is, a person does not become a thief or an adulterer after a single act. Once a pattern is established, this becomes what the person IS, not merely something he or she did.

Those who follow the second pattern of lying openly reveal who is their “father” (John 8:44)—these are murderous liars, minds within which their spiritual father, Satan, can “beget” whatever he wants them to say. Let’s momentarily bring in another facet of this kind of liar.

Psalm 81:15 speaks of these people when it declares, “The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto Him.” This verse reveals that there are people who simply hate God. It is the plain message of the passage. Get this in your head before going on! Accept it at face value. As with malevolent liars, it is equally difficult for some to believe that there could actually be human beings who hate God, but there are.

We could ask how such people are guilty of this hatred. How is it demonstrated? Let’s understand.

There are those who hate God’s Law and His authority over them through that Law. Notice that the verse states that these people will not “submit themselves to” God. These are people then who hate God’s government over them. Of course, that government—the government of God—is found only in His Church, the only one led by Jesus Christ. Obviously, Satan hates God’s government and knows that he will soon be banished from earth—and replaced by those in God’s Church today.

Who would doubt that Satan will do absolutely everything in his power to defeat his “political opponents,” as he would see God’s people? The things that he would do to derail the Church of God are simply without limit.

Now let’s return to the two types of liars.

Most can easily believe that the first type of person described above exists because they have told knee-jerk lies themselves, probably more than once. But the second type presents a problem to those who have not, and never would, do such things. They simply cannot comprehend those who would. They cannot grasp that there are human beings on planet Earth who would lie straight from pure malice and intent to harm. Think of it this way—comprehending such evil eludes the “average” liar.

Certain murderous haters of the Lord are sent by the god of this world to plague Christ’s Church with lies. No doubt, Satan reserves his very worst, and most “capable,” liars for “service” against the true Church and Work of God. He needs liars good enough to “bring home the bacon,” and he has them.

Now, if Satan were going to use his top agents—among the wheat—to invent falsehoods against someone, who would be his most obvious target? Who would he most want to harm? Who would he most want to discredit? Who would he most want to turn people from following?

If you can understand the answer to this, you can see why God’s leading servants through the ages have been slandered beyond all normal bounds.

Certainly Satan wants to harm all of God’s people. All who have God’s Spirit—those begotten of a different Father—are his enemies. But those who are leaders within God’s Church receive special attention, and history demonstrates that they have.

After you have read The Government of God, you will see with different eyes why Satan must attack God’s servants—especially His chief servant—beyond all limits. Above everything else on the devil’s agenda is to destroy God’s Church and government, and to do so at all costs. He believes that if he can destroy the leader’s reputation or credibility through lies, he has successfully undermined the government of God, and the result is that he would be able to bring the Work of God to an end. After all, it is the government of God that gives the Church of God the ability to remain together, working in unity fulfilling its sole purpose—completing God’s Work!

The above book takes an extensive look at government within the splinters and slivers. It will take you on a journey from the 1950s to the 1980s, to Mr. Armstrong’s death, and compare how Satan’s best agents destroyed the ability of God’s government to continue producing the wonderful fruit and growth the Church and Work once enjoyed.

Reread this last section until it rings in your ears.

Around Mr. Armstrong

There were always—I repeat, ALWAYS—wolves in sheep’s clothing around Herbert W. Armstrong. Do you doubt this? Have you forgotten what he reported in his autobiography about how often leaders and others stabbed him in the back and betrayed him all through the Oregon years? This trend never really ended as the years continued. Have you forgotten how many top ministers and administrators completely fell away after his death? Have you recognized how many other top ministers and administrators have severely compromised his teachings since his death? Obviously, this has also been true of scores of thousands of Church members.

But there is one main difference between Mr. Armstrong’s time and today. As explained in Section I, those people, and of course local “members,” could not take their story to the Internet. At best, they could poison only a few people around them who were foolish enough to listen to their angry, twisted inventions.

Recognize this! Many of these same leaders today, including many splinter members, hold a hatred—an outright loathing—for Mr. Armstrong, and his authority, that is almost palpable. Usually, though, they do not say that they hate him. After all, even the apostates profess to love Mr. Armstrong. But their fruits say something very different. However, even those who think they genuinely respect Mr. Armstrong are more than capable of fabricating stories or distorting the truth of events.

Regarding doctrine, Mr. Armstrong could spot a liberal a mile off. When someone was seeking to water down doctrine, he knew it immediately. So do I. But, spotting false doctrine and heretics is much different—and much easier—than identifying false witnesses. If a group of people come to agreement, and tell you that the Sabbath is Tuesday, you would immediately recognize that they were speaking falsely. On the other hand, if a similar group alleges personal misconduct against a minister—even one who will not compromise with the truth, and who is doing the Work of God—people suddenly become confused and willing to believe their report!

Why do they do this?—especially when God explicitly tells His people not to!

At this point, some will protest that “In the mouth of two or three witnesses, a matter is established.” Yet, these same people forget that thousands charge falsehoods against Mr. Armstrong. But that does not make them true. How sad that so many can no longer add two and two and reach four.

The Restored Church of God and I have repeatedly been the target of incredible false accusations. Destructive, divisive liars have repeatedly sought to destroy us. They will try again—and again—and again—to do this. You must beware of such people.

RCG has had numerous tares (exactly as the WCG did) enter the flock. After becoming familiar and friendly, they threw off their sheep’s clothing and proceeded to lie, confuse, divide and attack. I could tell true stories about former “insiders” that are so astonishing—so OUTRAGEOUS!—it would be almost impossible to believe someone could even be capable of such conduct. Ironically, these very people covered their own appalling behavior by manufacturing stories about mine.

The entirety of this book addresses this subject in extraordinary detail. I urge everyone who really cares about God’s instruction on this matter to periodically review it. Study each verse carefully as you do this. This is extremely important to survive the rest of the age.

Be vigilant. Determine to remain constantly focused on the full truth and continuing the Work of God. How often did Mr. Armstrong admonish this? It became evident to our Headquarters that the timing of certain Internet attacks, filled with pure fiction about me, were Satan’s attempt to derail God’s plans for a greatly expanded Work, which came to the fruition we had long awaited. Satan has regularly “detonated” his agents in our midst, keeping his focus on assassinating my character. Like terrorists with explosives strapped to their bodies and hidden under a trench coat, these “twice dead” (Jude 12) people board a bus or enter a café (spiritually speaking) and blow themselves up in hopes of perpetrating mass murder of innocent victims who never saw it coming.

We must all understand how desperately the devil wanted to suppress the return of God’s full truth in writing—and its distribution around the world—and his great need to destroy my character at all costs, as the best means of doing this. This is not hard to understand—about me or any true servant of God.

I hold no illusions. Because of the three responsibilities within the office that I hold, Satan would like nothing more than to destroy me and/or this Church.

One Example

Let me offer one example of what could be called a powerful lie. A former employee once stated, and I quote, that I make “$125,000 a year (tax-free), have a huge expense account, live in a mansion and have a palatial office—all paid for by about 200 brethren.” This received wide circulation outside RCG—and probably still does—his attacks having begun earlier with worse charges in late 2000, when he left us. While every element in this statement is pure fiction, some have been foolish enough to believe such outrageous stories. But they have only been willing to believe them because, in the first place, they went to the Internet cesspool where such ludicrous charges have been routinely posted. (Of course, the Internet has always been like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We saw it is certainly not all bad. It carries much beneficial knowledge—as well as much that is pure evil.)

This is what God wants to know about your character: Will you walk away from an opportunity to rejoin the true Church of God, teaching the full truth and doing the Work of God—all under the correct form of government—because of what rumormongers are able to accumulate from slanderous liars and then spread through the Internet? Or will you examine our true fruits?—the mass of what we produce and teach, and the lives that are being changed.

Make no mistake. I realize that the things said about me pale when compared to the hideous things said about Mr. Armstrong both during and after his lifetime. Would any of you be tempted to surf the Internet to find these stories—or to believe them if you did? (Of course, some would and do.)

Do you think God wants His servants doing this? Do you think He “winks” at it when they do?

Have you taken time to think about how many things a perfect, sinless Christ was accused of by people who must have appeared to be credible sources at the time? Consider once again: He was labeled a blasphemer, drunkard, traitor, bastard, heretic, demon-possessed, angry and abusive (when He overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple), Sabbath-breaker, ignorant, friend of publicans and sinners and more.

Of course, the Internet did not exist in the first century. Perhaps most people of that time never heard these charges, spoken by false witnesses with personal motives. I ask: If you had heard these things 2,000 years ago, would you have believed that Jesus was qualified to be your Savior? Would you have recognized that He was the Son of God? Would you have followed Him?

Of course, none of these accusations about Christ were true! However, God allowed them to be recorded for ALL TIME in Scripture so we could know that even the innocent Jesus Christ—an eternal God-Being!—could be accused of things more horrible and numerous than one can imagine.

Have you recognized this? Have you recognized that people who are completely innocent of false charges are still victims of those charges nevertheless?

Your crown could depend on understanding this!

“Scurrilous Misrepresentation” About Mr. Armstrong

Some facts of history would be helpful here. Mr. Armstrong was also—and often—accused of “being in it for the money.” And he found it necessary to periodically speak very openly and frankly in the early years to the Church membership at large about his own financial contributions to the Work. But he also decided to do this in a general way later so that others could understand WHY he could speak with such conviction to the entire Church about the need to sacrifice on a regular basis for God’s all-important Work.

In 1972, Mr. Armstrong decided that the Church should know certain facts about its leader. What he wrote served to neutralize what he called the “scurrilous misrepresentation of persecutors”:

“My wife and I lived in real poverty for 28 years, in getting this Work developed into the powerful worldwide Work it now is. And not only that, I have been through the years the heaviest financial contributor to the Work. I only say that to let you know I am not asking you to do anything I have not, and am doing, setting the example—all scurrilous misrepresentation of persecutors notwithstanding…”

Letter to the Brethren, May 31, 1972

You may be surprised that Mr. Armstrong was this open with the Church about his personal contributions. When I first read what he described, I was. Yet, in the early years, Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong had to give sometimes seemingly beyond all measure. Their financial sacrifice was truly astonishing, and particularly so when he was so often attacked for having a personal or selfish financial motive. Believe me, I can relate to this.

Here is just one additional statement from his autobiography (also included in our biography of Mr. Armstrong’s life) to demonstrate beyond any doubt where his heart was, even from the most difficult early years of the Work. I was stunned at what he was also doing behind the scenes for the Work. (Emphasis his.):

“On April 2, 1940, I had to write co-workers: ‘The only way I have managed to keep the work going has been my personal sacrifice—taking money intended for our family living, letting my family suffer. One of my daughters has had to stop school. We are about to lose our home. We have gone without badly needed clothing. I could tell you more, but do not want to talk about ourselves—our heavenly Father knows. We are willing and glad to make any sacrifice. BUT THE POINT IS, WE HAVE NOW COME TO THE END, UNLESS SUBSTANTIAL HELP COMES AT ONCE. The work cannot be held up by this method of personal sacrifice any longer. As long as it was only us who suffered, I said nothing. But now the Lord’s WORK will stop unless substantial help comes quickly. For the work’s sake I must appeal to our helpers. I would starve, before I would ask one cent as charity for myself. But I’m willing to humiliate myself in any way for the gospel’s sake.’”

Vol. 2, Ch. 40, pp. 8-9

Probably very few remember or ever knew that Mr. Armstrong died with virtually no personal possessions he could call his own, other than a handful of suits, a watch, and a few other simple belongings, including almost nothing of worth. This man’s pattern of almost unbelievable sacrifice over virtually an entire lifetime was evident to all who knew him. Therefore, it should probably come as no real surprise how few possessions he had at the end of his life. Nothing was EVER more important to Mr. Armstrong than God’s Work! Yet, his motives were continually questioned, and by those who could not possibly understand them.

Following Mr. Armstrong’s Example

Now let’s revisit the rumors about me for a moment. In the spirit of Mr. Armstrong’s openness, I came to feel that the brethren at large should know similar things about the leader of RCG today. I have decided that if Mr. Armstrong could be so open for the purpose that he was, then so can i for the same reason!

Therefore, here are a few of the facts regarding my personal finances in support of God’s Work:

The entirety of our (mine and my deceased wife’s) life savings and virtually every extra dollar left in our budget month-to-month for years now has gone to this Work, even to the point of taking out a home equity loan (multiple times) to give more, when necessary. Several times, Mr. Armstrong had to ask the brethren to borrow for the Work (when the need was urgent). I have not asked this of RCG brethren, but I did feel that I needed to do this myself all along. (Incidentally, the attacker quoted earlier, who had worked at our Headquarters, was well aware of this.)

And all of this is in addition to not receiving any health benefits, a fleet car, a liberal expense account, or anything close to an annual full second tithe allotment given historically to all full-time ministers. I have not received any bonuses or any of the other things that even virtually ALL regular field pastors received in the past, or what those in the splinters now receive (who only have to work a relatively few hours a week, caring for small numbers of people). In addition, my salary was for a long time FAR below what all the splinter leaders are paid. I know! I have no life insurance, no social security waiting in the wings, and very little home equity remaining—and am no longer in my twenties or thirties, with lots of years left to “save for (any supposed) retirement.” Frankly, following Mr. Armstrong’s example, I plan to “retire” either directly into the kingdom of God or through death (sleep in Christ), whichever comes first.

Clarion Call Tells Story

In the fall of 2007, I gave a sermon titled “Clarion Call—The Time Is NOW!” that required I present extraordinary details of the story of what my wife and I had done—and why. Those who want much greater detail may listen to this sermon. Recognize that it has a companion sermon, a Part One in a sense, that introduces it, which is titled “The 1,335 Days—What Most Will Never Hear.” The serious person will want to hear these sermons, and in the order they were given. The effect they had on The Restored Church of God was MONUMENTAL!

Understand. My wife and I did what we did because the early years of the Work in RCG demanded it (and this has proven to be ongoing)!—just as the circumstances required the same of Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong throughout the years when he led God’s Work. We really had no choice, so I am not seeking “credit” as such.

Now I suppose that I could ask at this point: Did you need these facts about my finances? And then, because of the “scurrilous misrepresentations” of my “persecutors,” there is the question of whether what I have written will be believed. Did I “make it all up”? But since this concern did not stop Mr. Armstrong from reporting to the Church the facts of his contributions, neither should it stop me from reporting the same thing to God’s people at large.

Let me extend the point for further illustration: For those who still doubt after this explanation, I could go on to ask: Would I need to post a picture of my house for people to know how ridiculous the earlier quoted accusations are? Would they need to see my tax returns for several years to know that my salary is far—FAR—below the figure quoted above, and how almost tiny my expenses are, even as the leader of the Church? Would the report need to be certified by accountants and attorneys for some to believe it? And, if I responded to these reports in these ways, again I ask, would some even believe me, since they were willing, in the first place, to seek the reports of liars, rumormongers, talebearers and false witnesses?

Also, few ever consider the source of accusations: For instance, very few are aware that the man who attacked me—my modern “Alexander the coppersmith,” who “did me much evil,” to coin Paul’s term (II Tim. 4:14)—is publicly on record as now being vehemently against Mr. Armstrong, as well as literally stoutly defending Satan’s conduct—while completely disavowing the Bible’s validity and openly lampooning its God!

Again, few know any of this about the former employee who has fiercely attacked me. Neither did I until later. Yet, by now, many hundreds, or even thousands, have read his words. Like Paul with Alexander, I am only left to say, “The Lord reward him according to his works.”

Focus Away From the Man

Mr. Armstrong once offered a very instructive statement to the brethren in the Church about what should be their focus. His words are no less true today:

“WHO AM I? A false prophet, or a man sent from God with a Message? Do you know they asked Jesus Christ that question?

“They asked John the Baptist. Was he the Christ? Was he Elijah? No, he answered—he was merely a voice in the wilderness of religious confusion. But the man is not important—it is his Message.

“Why do people seem always to want to follow a man? Why do they look to the man, himself—and either become a follower of him, or an accuser and persecutor? Why must they look to the man instead of the truth?

“The enemies of the truth know this trait of human nature. And they utilize it to turn people away from the truth by discrediting the person who proclaims it. Or else they seek to attract people to their false way by exalting the person of their leader, and inducing people to follow that person.”

“Do you want to know who I am? Well, who I am is not important. But if you want to know the truth about it, do not ask those who are imbued with this world’s competitive spirit. They can’t tell you the truth about who I am, or whether what we proclaim is true, because they don’t know! If you want to know about me personally—it’s not important—but if you still want to know, ask me, not uninformed enemies. [Author’s note: I ask this same question of those who are uncertain as to whether they should believe attacks against me.]

“Check up, as the Bereans did on the Apostle Paul—they listened with open minds, unprejudiced, then searched the scriptures, whether these things were so (Acts 17:11).

“If we proclaim the truth—if we make it plain and understandable, and lead you to the truth which you prove to be the truth, then believe that truth.

“Look to the Fruits. By the thousands, people are being converted—their lives changed—brought to Christ and the Kingdom of God. Christ’s own gospel is being proclaimed, as a witness, to the whole world—on every inhabited continent. God’s own flock is being fed. Those brought to Christ, and who through Him are now begotten children of God, are finding happiness and joy that literally radiates in their lives! The sick are being healed. Future leaders in God’s work are being trained in God’s Colleges. Those are the fruits. This is the work where God is working. [Author’s note: Today, this paragraph describes The Restored Church of God.]

“Yes, even as Jesus, the living head of this work of God said: ‘Though you believe not me, believe the Work [of God], that you may know…’

“Be a follower of jesus christ—I am not seeking followers of my own. Don’t be a follower of a man—but of christ!”

PT, Personal, Sep. 1963

Throughout our splinter material, we have continually urged people to prove that we teach the full truth as well, and that we are emphasizing and doing the Work of God—proclaiming both the gospel of the kingdom of God to the world and the Ezekiel Warning to the modern nations of Israel—exactly as Mr. Armstrong did. And we are feeding the flock and changing lives. Millions are hearing of God’s Way, thousands are learning why they were born—and more and more are responding toward repentance, baptism and conversion.

Itching Ears?

We live in the age when so many have “itching ears.” Do you? When outrageous statements are made—about anyone—do you just believe them, simply because they “seem credible,” or because there appears to be “overwhelming evidence”—in other words, because a whole group of liars have banded together on an Internet site?

Many kinds of people come together for evil purposes. Some gather for the purpose of committing crimes. Others gather to perpetrate terrorist acts. Still others form to commit certain kinds of sexual immorality. Others organize to deliberately undercut, through use of “dirty tricks,” opposing political candidates running for office. Yet, all of these groups practice an automatic additional sin, relative to their activity. They must all cover up their true purpose through more deceit. In other words, they are forced to add lie upon lie. Of course, all these kinds of people are of the world and recognized to be unconverted. Such conduct is more or less expected there.

Why then do so many among God’s people fail to recognize that the same kind of carnal people, this time among the splinters, could, will—and do!—gather for malicious intent? Matthew 13:24-30 explains that the devil has been explicitly permitted by God to sow tares into God’s field. More of God’s people should have remembered this. You are personally responsible—before god!—for recognizing this process at work!

However, I have come to realize that there is actually a “plus” side to Internet attacks against The Restored Church of God and me. They serve as a kind of “screen,” blocking those not totally committed to following the full truth and to doing the Work from joining us. If people cannot cut through the silly nonsense of such obviously false charges against either RCG or me, they do not belong with us. So, Paul’s admonition that “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28) applies directly to us. The long list of ridiculous stories about us—and me—performs a certain “good” in this way. We understand and accept God’s winnowing—sifting—process at work.

God long ago understood and purposely allowed the creation of the Internet, because it plays a central role in His great end-time plan for all converted people. Each person must fight his way through endless lies (assuming one has also been foolish enough to seek them out or listen to them there in the first place) as part of the process of choosing which Church era condition he will reside in—or whether he will thrust himself completely outside true Christianity of any era.

What “Evil Reports” Should Teach

An important principle, directly related to how evil reports about a faithful minister should be received, springs from an extensive and remarkable passage found in II Corinthians 6.

Paul explained there that “evil reports,” mixed with “good reports,” and charges of being a “deceiver,” though he was “true,” actually validated his role as God’s servant! He also described his life as full of “distresses” and “tumults” (Greek: “tossings to and fro”). My ministry testifies to these things. Recognize that these are true of every high-profile, faithful servant of God.

Take time to read this eye-opening passage in verses 3-10. You will be very glad you did, and will find that it contains 28 different phrases that are inseparable from the lives of ministers God is using. After reading this passage, you will never view either their role—or their “profile”—the same again.

Have you recognized before that charges of deceit and evil reports about a man can actually help identify him as God’s servant? Does it surprise you that Paul was considered a deceiver?—that there were evil reports about him? No doubt, these accusations turned some aside from following one of God’s greatest servants (I Cor. 4:16; 11:1). They could also turn you aside from His true Church and Work today.

Proof of a man’s life or ministry never rests solely in good reports, honor, and acceptance by society. This has never been the case even with worldly leaders, let alone with those whom God is using. There will inevitably be accusations, slander, every kind of evil report and shame brought to bear upon God’s servants. Those led by an abundance of God’s Spirit are able to see beyond such smokescreens from the accuser of the brethren. Remember, Paul also cited such things as public beatings, imprisonment, and even a stoning to the point of death, as proof of his apostleship!

Have you ever considered this—or even consciously known of it before?

I admonish all who profess to be true followers of Christ: Do not listen to rumors, gossip and talebearing—“evil reports.” Reject them. Understand that there are “inventors of evil things” (Rom. 1:30) abroad in the world—and throughout the splinters. Realize that Christians must often endure “all manner of evil said against [them] falsely for [Christ’s] sake” (Matt. 5:11-12). Recognize the great power of murderous lies and deceit, and the devil’s determination to use his agents to employ these things on God’s servants (John 8:44) to scare them—you!—away from where God is working.

Plain Scriptures

If you are willing to take seriously God’s instruction on these matters, then carefully—and regularly—consider the following verses (among many others). They are God’s plain instruction to YOU about matters described in this section. Read and think:

“An ungodly man digs up evil…in his lips there is as a burning fire. A froward man sows strife” (Prov. 16:27).

“A lying tongue hates those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth works ruin” (Prov. 26:28).

“These six things does the Lord hate: yes, seven are an abomination unto Him: a proud look, a lying tongue…a false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren” (Prov. 6:16-17, 19).

“The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul” (Prov. 29:10).

“Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation” (Prov. 26:26).

“A righteous man hates lying” (Prov. 13:5).

“A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul” (Prov. 18:7).

“A false witness shall perish; but the man that hears speaks constantly” (Prov. 21:28).

“Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yes, strife and reproach shall cease” (Prov. 22:10).

“The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly” (Prov. 26:22)

“He that hates dissembles, and lays up deceit within him” (26:24).

“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Titus 1:15-16).

“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (II Tim. 3:13).

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (II Tim. 4:3-4). As we have learned, doctrinal fables are not the only fables that people listen to today!

“It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: But a man of understanding has wisdom” (Prov. 10:23). Those with wisdom understand what is happening today.

“An evil man seeks only rebellion: Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him” (Prov. 17:11).

Every one of God’s people must be on constant guard for false brethren. We saw Paul specifically warned of the “perils of false brethren” (II Cor. 11:26). The Restored Church of God chooses to ignore such people—whether they attack from inside or outside. Our brethren know not to wait for a minister to formally disfellowship such people, when it is immediately obvious to them that some have disfellowshipped themselves from the Body of Christ. Recognize that Paul also admonished the “BRETHREN” to “warn them that are unruly” (I Thes. 5:14). Take a moment to also read again to whom Romans 16:17 is addressed.

The RCG Headquarters makes no attempt to keep up with the speed of the Internet, emails, faxes and telephones, when used for the wrong purpose by malicious liars. YOU—personally—must “be strong in the power of [God’s] might” (Eph. 6:10), “standing against the wiles of the devil,” recognizing that you are “wrestling…against wicked spirits in high places” (vs. 11-12), as you “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12).

Remember this “simplicity in Christ.”

Personal Responsibility

All Christians have a personal responsibility that continues for the rest of the age. Consider each phrase of this passage:

“Keep your heart [mind] with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from you a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from you [this could refer to the lips of others as much as your own]. Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove your foot from evil” (Prov. 4:23-27).

Now read Matthew 24:13: “He that shall ENDURE unto the end, the same shall be saved” (repeated verbatim in Matthew 10:22). Many will not endure simply because so much confusing outright evil is occurring all around them (24:12). They will not continue to “keep their mind with all diligence,” and will be swallowed by obvious lies.

With each new “revelation” about my character, or the character of any of our ministers, some will be tempted afresh to collapse into Satan’s arms—and bolt from considering the lone Philadelphian remnant of God’s Church. Many will not even stop long enough to consider Revelation 3:11 and its all-important warning to “hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown.” Instead, some seem to almost eagerly hand their crown to anyone seeking to snatch it from their head!

A blunt word of caution: If you think that you love God’s Way, but Internet liars are able to dissuade you from joining The Restored Church of God—the only place on earth today where the real Work of God is being done and His full truth, with His government, is upheld and taught—YOU DO NOT LOVE THESE THINGS! You are kidding yourself if you think that you do. Simply put, the devil has defeated your conviction with heinous lies!

I admonish you to WAKE UP to what is happening among God’s people. WAKE UP to the hatred and deceit that abounds at the end of the age (Matt. 24:3, 10-11). Recognize that, after becoming offended—then angry and embittered—people invariably spin and distort the truth of matters to suit their own ends. If necessary, take your head out of the sand and recognize the “clear and present danger” that these things are to you—and to your salvation. If this does not apply, then I do not mean you. But I must “cry aloud, sparing not” (Isa. 58:1) about these things, because no one else is—or will!

I also exhort you again to remember II Thessalonians 3:1-2, with its reference to “unreasonable and wicked men” plaguing Paul, and your need to actively pray for God’s ministers so that the Work and “word of the Lord may have free course [Greek: “speed on”].”

Much is at stake! Will you exclude—and even disqualify—yourself from the true Church and the true Work of God because you either sought out or chose to believe obvious lies?

Continue to: Section III – BEWARE OF “GRIEVOUS WOLVES!”

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