My Own Personal Story
Who is
William F. Dankenbring? What is the story behind the origin
of
Triumph Prophetic Ministries? Here are the unvarnished facts –
the real
story behind the beginning of a ministry which broke off from
another
church because of incredible sins and massive cover ups –
a
ministry which is beholding to no one and which answers only to
the Most
High God. A ministry which dares to go
where none have
gone
before!
William F. Dankenbring
I became a member of the Worldwide Church of God in 1957 and remained a
member until January, 1987. I first began attending a local congregation of the
Church in
Upon graduation, I wrote for the Letter Answering Department, a
specialized part of the church ministry, and began writing articles for all the
Church’s publications in 1963, and became an Associate Editor of The Good
News, The Plain Truth, Tomorrow’s World, and The Ambassador College
Bible Correspondence Course.
Church Tragedy
Eleven years later, however, in 1974, tragedy struck. The Church was
suddenly confronted by terrible revelations of misconduct and immorality by its
leading spokesman, Garner Ted Armstrong.
Quickly a cover-up was put in place, and the “dirt” was swept under the
carpet, and any members who tried to discover the truth were summarily punished
by banishment from the Church.
At this same time, during the process of the cover-up, there were many
changes in the Church’s administration.
Politics seemed to become the “name of the game.” The Spirit of God seemed to be taking a
“vacation” from the Church – the massive cover-up had caused God to turn His
back on the Church, and now it seemed “politics” had replaced spirituality in
high offices in the Church. During this
time of upheaval and turmoil, many long-time, faithful employees were
terminated from their job in the Editorial Department, Radio and Television
studios, and many ministers left the Church in anger, bewilderment, and
consternation. It was the “night of the
long knives,” in a spiritual sense.
Those of us who were terminated from employment were done so in an
ostensible “budget cut.” The real reason, however, was much more suspicious and
sanguinary. Our loyalty to Garner Ted Armstrong was “suspect.” As the revelations of his sexual misconduct
and notoriety became common knowledge around the Church headquarters, whispers
and gossip became widespread. At that
time, Garner Ted also questioned the loyalty of Herman L. Hoeh, a senior
evangelist who was in charge of the administration of the Plain Truth
magazine, so he dumped Herman Hoeh (he actually put him out to “pasture” by
removing him from the editorial
office of
managing editor, and left him as an evangelist without an office). At that time he put Art Ferdig over the Plain
Truth staff, letting him reorganize it as he saw fit. The new administration saw fit to let me go,
even though I had been the most prolific writer and editor at the time.
I felt crushed by the circumstances of my departure from writing for
the Church. But I felt that over the
long haul, God was definitely in charge of my life and was working out His
purposes. I felt it had to be a good
thing, considering the enormity of the sins which were then wracking the
Church. So I determined not to be
deterred, and in a spirit of deep devotion and service to God and His people, I
began Triumph Publishing, thus allowing me to continue to write and publish
books, articles and materials proclaiming the truth of God, the true gospel,
Bible prophecy, and true doctrine, exposing the errors of worldly, apostate
churches. Over the next few years, I
wrote and published over twelve books, including nine of my own. However, this activity on my part was noticed
by ministers in the hierarchy of the Church, and some vehemently
disapproved. This seemed to set me on a
“collision course” with the Church administration, but no one dared attack my
books and publishing activities so long as Herbert W. Armstrong was still
alive.
As my publishing work grew and prospered, certain Church officials
became envious and felt threatened. This
attitude came to a head in 1982, when I was suddenly blindsided by a vicious,
scathing article written in The Pastor General’s Report. It seemed to bear the stamp of
legitimacy. This publication came out in
April, 1982, and was reported on in Ambassador Report, issue #39,
September 1987. I will quote the entire
article which discusses the trials and tribulations of Triumph Publishing and
myself, due to jealousy and hypocrisy in the leadership of the Worldwide Church
of God. Remember, this was 21 years
ago! Here’s the article:
Dankenbring's Triumph Publishing
William Dankenbring is a name many
former WCG members will recognize. After graduating from
In the years that
followed, Dankenbring, a hard-working family man who was once an Eagle Scout, went on to careers in
insurance and real estate, and in recent years has been a high
school registrar. His first love,
however, has remained the Bible. Cut off from writing opportunities with the Plain
Truth, Dankenbring, nevertheless, remained loyal to Herbert Armstrong and the WCG’s
theology. But he still desired to use his writing and business skills in a way that
would advance what he saw as “God’s truth.” That desire led to his founding Triumph
Publishing, an independent publishing company devoted to disseminating -- on a commercial
basis -- many of the same teachings the WCG was promulgating.
Right from its start, Triumph did not thrill
the WCG. Dankenbring was not criticizing the
WCG’s leaders and he was in harmony with all its teachings. In fact, he
remained a loyal,
tithe-paying member. But Triumph still made many in the WCG uneasy. “Who gave you the authority to do
this?” was a question frequently put to Dankenbring by members who could not fathom ‘truth’ coming
from any source other than HWA or his hirelings. The ministry, too, on
a number of occasions, challenged him on certain wordings that appeared in his articles and on
whether it was appropriate for him to market
his books during the WCG’s Feast of Tabernacles. Behind his back, however, the official WCG position
toward Dankenbring was vehement. In an article either written or approved by Tkach, the April 23, 1982 Pastor
General’s Report (a publication sent to WCG ministers) contained
this attack on Dankenbring:
“Question: Several ministers
have asked about Mr. William Dankenbring’s advertisement
for his books which have been distributed to members through mailings, at Feast
sites, etc. Are the books endorsed by
the Church? Does the Church
approve of them or recommend them? Is Mr. Dankenbring still a member
of the Church?
“Answer: Mr. Dankenbring is classified as a member
of God’s Church. But that does not imply that his privately-sold
writings have the approval or endorsement of the Church. Human nature seems to want to use God, or
God’s Church, for personal gain or profit. The moneychangers used God’s temple as a
place of business to sell at a profit to God’s
people. In blazing anger, Jesus drove them out. Jesus said, ‘Take these things hence;
make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise’ (John
“In II Peter 2:3 God warns,
‘And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of
you.’ Yes, SELLING FOR PROFIT their words in writing to the members of God’s
Church.
“Perhaps the selling of
doves and things for sacrifice was not in itself wrong, but exploiting God’s HOUSE
as a place or means of selling to God’s people was.
“The membership of God’s
Church has been exploited for private gain a number of times by those no longer members.
“God has commissioned HIS CHURCH -- not private
members on their own -- to feed the flock. The Church publishes much
literature -- magazines, booklets,
books, reprint articles
besides the personal ministry, to feed the flock -- AND WE DO NOT CHARGE A PRICE OR
MAKE MERCHANDISE OF OUR
MEMBERS IN SO FREELY GIVING GOD’S TRUTH! [Editor: Recall that books by HWA, Raymond McNair, and
Stan Rader have had price tags.]
“Although Mr. Dankenbring is a graduate of
“God’s Church therefore does not endorse nor give
approval to Mr. Danken- bring’s
books, nor those of others than
the Church’s own publications or those definitely approved.”
Still,
Dankenbring was not disfellowshipped. Triumph continued to grow, and by 1986
more WCG members than ever were
familiar with Triumph’s books and articles.
Official WCG
tolerance for Dankenbring, however, ran out some months ago when, instead of simply putting out materials
that echoed official church dogma, Dankenbring
published an article that put forward a new view of the 2300 days prophecy of
Daniel.
The article was distributed to a few members and a handful of
ministers, most of
whom seemed to view it
favorably. He was then to learn, however, that in the WCG “new
truth” can still only come from one source -- the man at the top.
After 30 years of dedicated service to the WCG, Dankenbring was
summarily disfellowshipped in
January. None of his old friends in the
ministry cared enough to even want to discuss “his problem”
with him. Phone calls requesting counseling on the matter got him nowhere.
The WCG again showed itself to be a very cold and cruel
church. But in dumping Dankenbring it may have also (once again) shot itself in
the foot. Dankenbring, like many others, is now convinced
that the WCG is the Laodicean
The article was a savage attack on me, personally, written in clever
words to insinuate I was guilty of “fleecing the flock” and “making merchandise
of the brethren.” How? By writing and selling BOOKS! Of course, nobody had to purchase the
books. Some of the books I published
were written by Church members and even a church minister and evangelist! But even so, I was condemned with innuendo
and insults.
It has been many years since I read the quoted and referenced article
above. It appeared in the Pastor General’s Report of the Church in
spring of 1982, four years before the death of Herbert Armstrong. It carried no
byline. When I first heard about it, I was very upset and angered, and
telephoned Joseph Tkach, the one who was over the ministry and publisher of the
PGR at that time. I requested an audience, a hearing, and he said he would take
care of it, professed sympathy, but he took no action – he did nothing. A year
or so later, when rummaging through the files of the Ambassador College
Library, I came across an official book listing the authors and titles of every
article published by the Church. Curious, I look up my own name, and found
probably about one hundred or more articles listed which I had by-lined and
written.
Then I noticed something else -- following those listings was another
listing of articles written about me. There was only one, as I recall --
it was the one in the April 1982 Pastor General’s Report. And interestingly
enough, listed as the author of the little ditty, was the name of none other
than -- Joseph W. Tkach! Perhaps that is why when I objected to the
nasty article, and demanded a hearing, even before Herbert Armstrong, Tkach
quietly buried the request and did nothing.
He was to blame for the vicious attack and slander!
The Tkach Years of Apostasy
Four years later, in January 1986, Herbert W. Armstrong died under
suspicious circumstances, as he lay ill in his home in
The Church was plunged into the waters of dire apostasy! But the changes in doctrine began with great
subtleness and were very quietly instituted.
Most people, like the frog placed in lukewarm water, and then has the
heat turned up until it is boiling hot, did not catch on to the massive changes
until it was much too late!
When these changes were being implemented – just one year after the
death of Herbert Armstrong they were already begun – the Church still had a
“problem.” There was this “member” whom
they did not trust, and whom they had pilloried in the Pastor General’s
Report in 1982, still promoting and selling books on creation versus
evolution, keys to radiant health, Bible prophecy, and Christian living. What were they going to do with him? He was like a burr under their saddle. That person, of course, was me. It did not matter to them that I had been a
faithful member of the Church from 1957 until 1987 – thirty years – nor did it
matter that I had graduated from
The Kangaroo Court
One year subsequent to HWA’s death, on
I wrote to him that the jury was still out – we would have to wait and
see. Somehow the Australian fellow
showed my letter around, and it was seized by the local minister, Bill Winner,
who sent it to
It was now forbidden, apparently, for any Church members to publish
anything of a religious, doctrinal or prophetic nature – even if it was the
truth! Now, with Herbert Armstrong out
of the way, the new leadership decided to take action. I was accused of being a “false prophet,” and
the Church suspended me on January 16, one year to the very day from the death
of Herbert Armstrong. The next week I
was disfellowshipped, and the Church “marked” me as a “heretic” the third week
from all the pulpits of the Church around the world. I was categorically rejected, thrown out of
the Church, without any hearing, without a chance to defend myself, without
being given any opportunity to address the charges! This was the “new version” of the Worldwide
Church of God! My fears of a new “dark age” for the Church were
well grounded and completely justified.
The “jury” was no longer “out.”
The verdict had been rendered in
blazing anger and totalitarian brutality!
I was now “history,” so far as the Church was concerned.
After this action, the Church began changing its doctrines, one by one,
with impunity, plunging down the slippery slope of apostasy. Soon the books and articles written by
Herbert Armstrong disappeared from the Church inventory. Soon the Sabbath was done away, and the
annual holy days. Quicker than a flash,
unclean meats were approved for eating, and the identity of the lost tribes of
When I was suspended and disfellowshipped, in 1987, I sought a hearing
to defend myself. However, one was not granted. I prayed and fasted for three
days about the situation, but the Church was adamant. If I wanted to continue
in the Church, I would have to “repent” of all my publishing activities, and
seek to engineer my way back into their good graces by getting an evangelist
“friend” to plead for me. I would have
to kow-tow in complete obeisance and submission to the Church’s perceived
authority and government. I would have
to bitterly confess that I had done wrong, even though I had done nothing to
merit such action.
However, I knew that God had given me a gift for writing, and He had
used me for fourteen years in writing for the Church publications, from 1963 to
1974. At that time, I was let go from
the Editorial Staff due to “budgetary considerations,” and new management which
was brought in by Garner Ted to run the Church magazine. But even then I had determined to keep on
serving God, by publishing books containing His truth -- books on evolution versus Creation, prophecy,
health keys, and church history.
But now, in 1987, unless I would submit to their unjust and wicked
kangaroo court, I was blacklisted, black-balled, and consigned to Satan, in
their eyes. At the time, the vast
majority of the Church membership didn’t understand, didn’t seem to care, and
most people just assumed I had committed some grievous sin. My “friends” no longer spoke to me. Long-time friends now gave me and my wife the
cold shoulder. We were “cut off.”
But God did not forget me. I
remembered the words of David, who wrote, “Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my
voice! Have mercy also upon me, and
answer me. When You said, ‘Seek My
face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, LORD, will I seek.’ Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn
Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake
me, O God of my salvation. When my
father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me” (Psalm
27:7-10, NKJV).
It was January, 1987. The course
was clear. I saw that my future course
of action was pre-determined. I settled in my own mind that I would obey God --
not man! It was obvious to me that the
Church was abusing its authority, and treating members like filthy no-accounts
– abject peons. There was no
respect. There was no honor. I felt like Peter and the apostles who had to
defend their actions before the religious hierarchy of their day, the Sadducees
and Pharisees. The religious authorities had imprisoned them for preaching the
gospel. They had whipped and scourged
them. But Peter rose up in his own
defense, and declared to their human court, composed of the leading rabbis and
ministers of that day, with firm conviction:
"We must obey God rather than men!" (Acts 5:29). That’s exactly how I felt!
Apostasy and Rebellion
Since that time, 16 years ago, the “fruits” of the Worldwide Church of
God and its new leadership have become very apparent to the vast majority of
Church members. There are no good fruits
at all. Instead of figs, there are
thistles; instead of apples, briars; instead of peaches, nettles and thorns.
How time flies! Now it is September 2003. Joseph Tkach is dead, having died of cancer
about nine years back in 1995. The Worldwide Church of God, or what is left of
it, is now under the rulership of his son, Joe, Jr. He is listed in their
by-laws as “Pastor General for life.” Although the Worldwide Church of God has
professed that it is changing these archaic rules and bylaws, and becoming more
collegial and democratic, in government, nevertheless it has not done so to
this day.
During the past 16 years, since I parted ways with the Worldwide Church
of God under its new hierarchy, the church itself has gone back into
mainstream, normative Protestantism. It has disavowed the weekly Sabbath
observance and is compelling members everywhere to meet on Sunday. It has rejected all the annual Holy Days of
God, calling them “Jewish,” and says they are a hindrance to preaching the
gospel! Instead, it has adopted and
embraced the pagan holidays of Christmas (from the ancient Roman Saturnalia),
and Easter (named after the Teutonic goddess of spring), and the pagan
“Trinity” doctrine! In reality, the
apostate Church now rejects ALL the Torah of God -- the laws of God which are
the very definition of His divine CHARACTER and the FOUNDATION of His true
Government!
Jesus Christ Himself, made the truth about this very plain when He said
to His disciples: “Do not think that I have come to ABOLISH the Law or the
Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to FULFILL them” (Matt.5:17,
NIV). Jesus did NOT come to “abolish”
the law of God, but to bring it to the FULL BRIM – full and overflowing! He said, “I tell you the truth, until heaven
and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen,
will be any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matt.5:18). He concluded, “Anyone who breaks one of the
least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least
in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will
be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (verse 19).
Did you notice that? Not one
little mark or stroke will perish from the law of God until ALL is fulfilled –
the Law of God will endure so long as heaven and earth still exist!
Truly, the Worldwide Church of God has plunged over the cliff,
spiritually, and is headed for the great “abyss.” I pity the poor members who can’t see beyond
their noses, who are still blinded to the reality of their situation.
The Spirit of Apostasy
Since those days, many members of the Worldwide Church of God have left
that organization, and formed many new churches, meeting in various halls,
homes, and locations. But they are all
divided and splintered into disagreeing, competing sects, factions, and
organizations. Ministers cannot get
along with each other. Each is seemingly
trying to out-do the other. Everybody
wants to step into Herbert Armstrong’s shoes and claims to be the one who most
truly follows his teaching – even things which he taught which were in error! The remnants of the Church still worship the
vain image of a man, and have lost sight of the vital importance of
Scripture and “PROVING ALL THINGS” (I Thess.5:21).
How sad!
The
Laodicean church is here, now, and very much in evidence!
Even the churches which came out of Worldwide, when it began
apostatizing, have refused to search the Scriptures, and admit their sins and
errors. The Worldwide Church of God is going to pay horribly for its wickedness
and sins. But what about all the other churches which came out of Worldwide?
Jesus Christ declared, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you
will recognize them” (Matt. 7:15-16, NIV).
Herbert Armstrong’s Dire Warning
Herbert W. Armstrong, while he was alive, WARNED of the condition the Church would fall into after his death. Years ago Herbert Armstrong made a very interesting radio broadcast in which he covered some very fundamental truths. These are vital concepts which we should all review and think deeply about. His words describe vividly what we see happening in the various branches of God’s end-time Church, today!
About forty years ago, while he was still alive, Herbert W. Armstrong gave a powerful radio broadcast in which he discussed some of the fundamental problems with religious groups, churches, and denominations in the world. Let’s take a look at this old radio program. Herbert thundered in his own inimical style:
“My friends, in today’s world, I wonder if
you understand the difference between the true Church
of God, and I mean, the church that Jesus Christ said that He would build. You know, Jesus
Christ said, ‘I will build My church.’
Where is that church? Which of
all these churches that
you see, of all these many denominations, which could be that church?
“I want to tell you, when
you find that church, as you find it described in the Bible, as you
find it in the beginning of
the New Testament, there is one thing that differentiates that church
from all other
churches. Now listen carefully: Here it is!
And you can tell by this whether
you belong to that church or
not. The Church that Jesus Christ is the
living head of, the church
that Jesus Christ built, the
church that He said the gates of hell would never prevail against, is a
church that is under the
authority of Jesus Christ and under the authority of God Almighty, as
the Supreme Creator Ruler of
this Universe. . .”
What is the supreme TEST that Herbert Armstrong spoke of? He went on to speak of people in ancient times who worshipped God. He declared:
“They never
knew really how to worship the true God, however. But people would do
whatever the man/leader said, and people today do it. But as Paul said to the Corinthians, he said that
there were divisions among them, and one of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another wanted
to be a follower of Apollos, and another the follower of Peter or
Cephas, and another wanted to follow Christ.
He said, ‘Is Christ divided?’
“Now today we have our
various sectarian denominations. And one
is supposed to be a follower
of one man and another of another man. I
won’t mention any names because I don’t
want to cast reflection on anyone or any organization, but I want to get the
principle or the truth out to you so that you really understand
it.”
What was this great principle or truth? Notice exactly what he said!
“So, what are
the differences? Now what do we have in
our sectarian denominations? They are the followers of a man,
in nearly every case. And whatever
the man who started the denomination or the sect or
the religious organization – whatever he
took as
doctrine, whatever he set as the doctrine to be practiced, his followers took
it, they put a frame around it, and they refused to accept anything more or
less. They refused to
ever acknowledge that there was any error whatsoever. And there is not a one of those that does not
have error, and when the error was exposed, the followers of that church, that
denomination, had built up an ecclesiastical organization and they could not for political reasons
admit any error in what they taught.
And that doctrine has been the test of
fellowship in nearly every case. . . .”
The TEST of
God’s Church
Did
you get that? Herbert Armstrong himself
said the TEST of God’s true Church is that it will CONFESS ERROR and admit
it! It will admit that the original
leader or man COULD HAVE BEEN WRONG in certain of his teachings! But all the churches of MEN have a
tendency to “enshrine” whatever the founder taught, and to “put a frame” around
it, and they “refused to accept anything more or less.”
How utterly astonishing! He
said, “They refused to ever acknowledge that there was any error
whatsoever”! Does that sound like
the various ministers and leaders of the churches of God which came out of the
Worldwide Church of God – the very church that Herbert Armstrong himself
founded in this present age?
Yes it does! To put it another way, history
repeats itself! What Herbert
Armstrong pointed out about the churches which began in the Protestant
Reformation has happened to his very own church organization during this
present age!
Herbert Armstrong went even further.
In this amazing radio broadcast, he declared:
“And so, if you don’t
believe just what is set, you can’t belong; you’re expected to believe it; swallow
it hook, line and sinker, true or false.
When new light is revealed, and
we find that the prophecies were closed until the time of the end, we’re in
that time now . . .
Now most church denominations were founded before that time. But my friends,
you will find, that now that the prophecies are opened up, and about one third of all the Bible is
prophecy, and it could not be understood until now, you will find, that there is not one
church sect, not one church denomination, that has admitted it was teaching the
prophecies incorrectly, and that it was in error, and not one has ever dared
to come out,
and publicly expose its own error, and confess it, and repent of it, and change
around and accept the truth now that the truth is available. . . .”
It
is fascinating to hear his voice on the tape of the broadcast! His expose, however, sounds just like the
various churches that have split off and come out of the Worldwide Church of
God which he himself founded!
They all expect their members to believe and accept exactly what they
teach, to “swallow it hook, line and sinker!”
Yes, “true or false”!
Rather than continually growing in truth and
admitting error, just as Herbert Armstrong wrote of those churches founded before
he came on the scene, even the remnant “branches” of his own church have fallen
into the very same trap! Not a one of
them or their leaders “has ever dared to come out and publicly expose its
own error, and confess it, and repent of it, and change around and accept the
truth now that the truth is available”!
How many churches today do you know of that are willing to admit error, to confess mistakes, and to repent and change their doctrines and teachings?
Time to WAKE
UP!
Herbert went on, driving the point home, saying:
“Oh, I tell you it’s time
for some voice to CRY OUT, and to EXPOSE THESE things,
and to WAKE YOU PEOPLE UP,
and to show you the TRUTH of God, that somehow
you haven’t had [pause] . .
. and have been blindly following wherever other people go.
We’ve been concerned with what
will people think. And many of you
that hear me.
And we find that the errors
of the time were turned clear around until we get right-side
up and get the truth.”
Yes, it is time for everybody to WAKE UP – and to search the Scriptures, and to ADMIT ERROR, and to REPENT, and to CHANGE! God IS revealing NEW TRUTH – but most people are “blindly following wherever other people go”! Too many of us are too concerned with “what do people think”! It’s high time we turn clear around, so we can get “right-side up and get the truth”!
Herbert Armstrong continued:
“And you find its different
from anything you ever heard before. And
many of you are
afraid of it. And you know why? Because you say, What would the church people
think
and what would other people
think? Can those people save you, my
friends? Can they
impart eternal life to
you? You’re going to stand before Jesus
Christ in the JUDGMENT
some of these days, and THEN
what are you going to think? THEN what
are you going
to be concerned about? – and
whether what your friends think counts, or whether what
God thinks about you
counts?”
This is powerful, explosive material. Think about it. Herbert Armstrong was thundering over the radio some of the most basic, fundamental, underlying principles of TRUTH! What really is important? Is it what PEOPLE THINK about you? Or what Almighty GOD thinks about you? Indeed, we will each one of us stand before the judgment seat of Christ and Almighty God one day soon! What will we think about these things THEN?
Early Church Leaders and
Prophetic Statements
Herbert Armstrong went on to discuss the Protestant Reformation and its leaders. He declared in plain, clear words, what happened in the succeeding generations to the churches which those men had founded:
Notice
what he said and think about today’s church ministers and leaders!
“And you know
some of those great original Protestant leaders, and they were great men, and they followed the light as they
saw it, they were honest men, but I tell you, my friends, men who were steeped
in the customs and traditions of the time, could not see all of God’s truth all
at once. But what about their
followers?
“Their followers should
have seen a little more – and accepted it when they did – but they never did. Every one of them, they have taken what
their leaders had, and they
have clung to it, and they have not accepted anything that has been revealed
new, neither
have they rejected anything
that was in error that they found.”
Notice that these men’s followers did not grow in new truth or grace and knowledge – they merely clung to the doctrines they had inherited from the original man who founded the denomination or church. They were stuck in a rut. Bogged down in a quagmire. They were actually following a man, and not Jesus Christ!
Herbert goes on to say:
“One of the great leaders
said, before he died, that he had only recovered part of the
truth, he had not restored it all, and he urged his leaders to continue as he
had done,
to find new truth, and to
expose new error, but they didn’t.
They continued right
on to this day just as he
had, they set their frame around what he had, they wouldn’t let any of it get
out, they wouldn’t let anything else get inside of it, and they kept
it there, and that is one of the four or five largest denominations in the
western world
today. And that’s the way it has been,
my friends.”
How astonishing – and amazingly prophetic!
Little did Herbert Armstrong know he was describing what was going to happen in his very own church which he founded!
The ministers who followed after him have, like these other ministers of other churches, refused to accept new truth, have put a frame around everything he taught, and have refused adamantly to admit or confess error, or to repent of error, and to be willing to CHANGE when proven wrong! How prophetic were his very own words about his own church and its various branches and leaders, today!
The REAL Bottom
Line
Herbert Armstrong concluded, saying:
“Now the thing that
differentiates the TRUE church that Jesus built, that Jesus is the
head of, is that they are
doing as Jesus said we should, living by EVERY word of God.
They are obedient to
God. They look on God as Supreme
Authority. They realize that
God has set limitations on
the human mind, and that we don’t know it all, and that
God’s mind is perfect, and
that God is a God of love, and that God wants only that for
our supreme happiness and
our good – that God wishes above all things that we might
be prosperous and be in
health, and that God wants us to enjoy life, but not to do those
things that give us a
temporary kick and then kick back at us as a boomerang and give
us the headaches tomorrow
morning.”
How true! Jesus Christ Himself said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). “Every word”! If we do this, we will experience the truly “abundant life” (John 10:10).
This is what differentiates God’s TRUE church – a spiritual organism – and all the politically motivated churches of MEN! God’s true people will follow the TRUTH – wherever it may lead them! God’s true people put His Word first in their lives. They strive to live by ALL God’s commandments. They search the Scriptures, daily, constantly, continually, striving to find more and greater insight so they can obey Him more fully, implicitly, and completely.
God’s true people will be willing to fearlessly “go where no man has gone before,” as the Word of God and the Spirit of God lead them! They know that obedience to God is the most important thing in life and is the WAY to eternal life and happiness throughout all eternity!
Herbert Armstrong left these words ringing in our ears in that fateful broadcast. He thundered, as he was wont to do, with a clarion call of authority:
“Now,
obedience to God, living by EVERY word of God – how do we do it? God gives us His laws, His Words, in the
Bible. And it gets down to this –
regarding the Bible as the SUPREME
AUTHORITY in your own personal life, in your Church life or
business life, or every-thing.
Now most people would say . . ., ‘What does religion have to do with my
politics, or my business life, or my social life? That’s something
separate.’ Oh no it isn’t, my
friends. When you come to the truth of
God, it IS your life. This IS your life. The Word of God, the way of God, and you must
live by it, in your business contacts, in your social
contacts, in everything, and you should read it to see what
your political life should be, if any.
And you will get your eyes open on a lot of things.
“Today people
say, ‘Well, I don’t think it makes any difference.’ Do they TREMBLE before the
Word of God? Do they FEAR it, do they
look on it as an authority? They say, ‘Well, this is the way I look at it.’ They aren’t concerned with the way GOD looks
at it, they aren’t concerned with the
LAWS of God that are going to judge them in the
judgment day, that are
going to determine whether they have eternal life, but they say, ‘This is the way I look at
it.’ How many are going to really look
to God, and look to the Bible, as Supreme Authority? Do you know any that do?”
How about that? What do you think about those words? Are they chilling to your soul? Do they motivate you to take a good look at your life – your attitude? Do you look at your life the way GOD in Heaven looks at it? Do you look to the Bible, the Word of God, as the Supreme Authority in your life?
Or are you really just another follower of men -- however well meaning or sincere, but still -- only mere men?
God says in the book of Isaiah the prophet, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). He goes on to say, “Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at His word: Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed” (verse 5, KJV).
Do you tremble before the Word of the living God? Or do you follow men, mere human beings, who claim to have the truth, who claim to follow Herbert Armstrong and who insist he could make no error or mistake? Are you fulfilling prophecy with your own attitude?
The apostle Paul wrote, along the same vein, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, WORK OUT your own salvation with FEAR AND TREMBLING” (Philippians 2:12, NKJV).
I truly fear many are on the verge of losing out on their salvation, because of neglect, compromise, following men, and not adhering to the Word of God in every facet of their lives. As Paul wrote, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. . . How shall we escape if we neglect so GREAT a salvation?” (Heb.2:1-3).
It’s time each one of us stop attacking each other, and calling each other names, and get serious with our own salvation, Bible Study, prayer, and research of God’s Word, not letting anything slip out of our grasp – studying with zeal, alacrity, patience, and perseverance. Those who love God, and love His Word, will search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). They will continually take stock of themselves, review their beliefs, analyze their previous convictions, and place the spot-light on their assumptions and conclusions – always being willing to admit error, to confess mistakes, and to CHANGE and redirect and reorient their lives, as the changing, evolving situation warrants!
How
many today are willing to do just that?
Isn’t it time we all WAKE UP and come to our senses, and seek God’s way
and study His Word and strive to obey Him and do His will, as never ever
before? Isn't it time we took seriously the admonition of the apostle Paul
who wrote, “PROVE ALL THINGS; hold fast that which is good” (I Thess.5:21)?
Where Do We Go From Here?
Yes, how time flies! The
apostasy of the 1970s is history. The
events of the 1980s are history. The
great changes in the Churches of God in the 1990s are also history.
We are now living in the 21st century. Herbert Armstrong is dead. Joseph Tkach is also dead. And now Garner Ted Armstrong also is
dead. A new generation of leaders is
rising up.
Where do we all go from here?
What does the future hold?
Look around you.
We are now in the epicenter of the greatest earthquake in human history
-- on the threshold of the greatest time of trouble and world disaster -- in
the eye of the most ferocious hurricane ever to strike mankind. One era of
church history has passed. Another one has begun. And mark my words, friends – we really ARE
in the “gun lap,” now! We are approaching
the END OF THE RACE!
Indeed, there is truly not much time left!
The apostle Paul declared: “The
hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is
nearer than when we first believed. The
night is nearly over; the day is almost here.
So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of
light. Let us behave decently, as in the
daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and
debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think
about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Romans 13:11-14, NIV).
Paul also exhorted, “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to
what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was
binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how
shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1-2).
Paul also warned, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful
that you don’t fall” (I Cor.10:12).
He told the Philippians in words which apply to all of us, “continue
to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil.2:12).
To the Hebrews, Paul exhorted, “Therefore we also, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us RUN WITH ENDURANCE THE RACE
that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility
from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your
souls. You have not yet resisted to
bloodshed, striving against sin” (Heb.12:1-4, NKJV).
The time is urgent. One era has
passed. The “gun lap” has begun. I
remember clearly hearing Herbert W. Armstrong say repeatedly, in his sermons in
Pasadena, the headquarters Church, “We are in the gun lap.” As a young athlete, running the 440 yard
race, at Ambassador College, I remember clearly what the “gun lap” meant. It was the final lap – the final sprint – to
the finish line!
Have you begun your final “kick”?
Have you begun your final “sprint” for the finish line?
“Be
always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about
to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke
21:36, NIV).
Bill and Cappy
Dankenbring, at Malibu, California, spring of 2003.