Text for Menu-Driven Bible Study 30 September 2016  See Menu     MP3     Menu-Driven Bible Study Homepage

Topics Discussed:

Item 60 - Prophecy: Prophecy vs. The Salvation Process [at the beginning of the audio]
Item 74 - Are We Carrying on the Work of Herbert W. Armstrong? [begins at 9:00 of the audio]
Item 75 - The Gnostic Movement is alive and well in the Body of Christ [begins at 11:05 of the audio]
Item 80 - Who is Our Mission Field? [begins at 15:40 of the audio]
Item 20 - "Free choice" and "Godly Calling" [begins at 38:19 of the audio]
Item 22 - Spiritual Lesson from God -- from town of Ai [begins at 44:26 of the audio]
Item 27 - How Does God Correct the Church? [begins at 52:00 of the audio]
 

The battle for your time and your mind.

How many of you out there would like to know, right now, the following facts:

1] When tribulation begins.     2] Who will be the Beast    3] Who will be False Prophet
4] All about 2 Witnesses     5] When & How of Abomination of Desolation     6] Location of Ark    7] When and How US will be attacked and invaded.

---I suspect all of you would.   
---When does all this desire for prophecy knowledge become a spiritual liability?
---What is the true design behind prophecy?

[The definitive book on Prophecy] --What if we had a book that contained all the details of yet, unfulfilled prophecy.  This book has all the dates, places, names and numbers of people and all the details of what happens in that prophecy.

 Questions:

1] What good would this book do one in the Salvation Process? 
2] Does knowing all this information insure anyone's Salvation? 
3] Is any of it required for Salvation? 
4] Could I even use it to save my physical life? 
5] Would I be justified before God to use this book to attempt to save my life?

The answer to one is NONE.  The rest, NO.     [ “***” from our prophecy]

Prophecy has little impact or bearing on one's Salvation Process. 
***"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

 Prophecy is designed to make sense AS IT HAPPENS and He gives us no instruction about "breaking codes" or figuring out the prophecy before the fact.

---I have seen members fixated on prophecy.
---They tout 30-50 papers touting this or that.   ---They distribute papers.

---The more the prophecy is uncertain or unknown, the more attention it gets.
--- There is nothing wrong with studying obscure prophecies,--understandable.
---As long as their relative importance is kept clear.
 
---  There is nothing wrong in searching things out as long as we do it in balance and take steps to insure we spend more time in Salvation Process-related issues.

***The only worthwhile test of any prophetic presentation is ultimately quite obvious—will it, or will it not, actually occur in reality?

---Most of the papers on prophecy have proved to be in error.  Message is clear.
 
*** Hindsight has always been more successful than foresight in determining the reality of prophecy.

***Certainly the injunction to "watch at all times" (Luke. 21:36) must be heeded, but the Bible does not give any major examples of people acquiring specific predictive knowledge of the future from the written prophecies alone.

 ---In spreading the gospel, the church makes predictions about where certain breaking news events seem to be leading in light of Bible prophecy. 

---We do this under the heading of "Watching." 
--- We make predictions about the news – we are not prophets [Item 61]

*** Paul's strong admonition is that "if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, but have not love, I am nothing" (I Cor. 13:2).

---Paul is essentially pointing out that the Salvation Process is more important than knowledge of prophecy. 
---"Love" is a chief element of the Salvation Process. 
---Paul makes it clear the Salvation Process is stronger than prophecy. 
---Prophecies can fail and are done when fulfilled
---Salvation, on the other hand is eternal. 

---Let the unfolding world events guide our understanding of prophecy. 
---This is much preferable over deciphering a Bible prophecy and hoping that world events will match it.
---He wants our eyes on His prophecies, but He wants our hearts and souls in the Salvation Process.

So study and analyze prophecy as you will, but keep yourself in balance and give the greater amount of your time and effort to the Salvation Process...which is eternal.

Some churches are claiming to be carrying on the work of Herbert W. Armstrong.  Is this a valid claim?  What was the work of Herbert W. Armstrong?

I marvel at the number of church organizations, who say they are the only authorized church on the planet to carry on the Work of Herbert W. Armstrong.  What work is that? 

If they are carrying on the Work of Herbert W. Armstrong, what Work was Herbert W. Armstrong carrying on? 

Wasn't he doing the Work of God?  I know that he was.  Therefore if there is a true church of God on the planet today, they are doing the Work of God and not that of Herbert W. Armstrong.
 
This Work is not and never has been about Herbert W. Armstrong. 

He never created or established any truth and he did not invent the gospel message.  He was a servant of God and a slave of Jesus Christ fulfilling the calling God gave to him.  With his death, the true church of God continued.  The leaders of those churches are doing the Work of God and not some servant of God.
 
 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. –Eph 2:10
 
 I won't speak for these other churches, but the ICG is carrying on the Work of Almighty God.

What is the Gnostic movement?  What is the chief motivational factor that would draw one to this movement?  What are their beliefs and doctrines?

Running throughout the Body of Christ are what I call neo-Gnostics.  A Gnostic is one who values the revealed knowledge of God. 

The problem is only the Gnostic receives it.  What they receive is, therefore, secret knowledge.  Secret knowledge sets the Gnostic separate from the normal believer in God and somewhat higher. 

Since they have the secret knowledge, they see themselves as most righteous.  The problem with Gnostics is they are compelled to indoctrinate and convert you to this revealed knowledge. 

In doing so, it is their aim to demonstrate their righteousness and establish control over you.  They are generally full of passion for this inside knowledge and are incensed when you will not accept what they have to say. 
These people cannot and will not be deterred nor discouraged from their beliefs.   They will keep repeating, "Can't you see it?"  "This is the absolute truth of God that no one is teaching but that is essential to eternal life."
 
 Gnostic beliefs generally attract individuals who lack true conversion, those who have fallen from the Salvation Process or one in a severe backslide within the faith.   Having secret, inside or newly revealed knowledge makes one feel spiritually special and righteous.  They often see themselves as a special agent sent by God to correct the church and/or to convert the brethren.  Neo-Gnostics do not keep the secret information secret. 
 
 In recent decades, the revealed knowledge usually has something to do with New Moons, Sacred Names and/or the Godly Calendar.  I have also seen it involve Polygamy, Animal Sacrifices, Three days and Three Nights, the Sixth Hour and how one should be observing the Passover [or Lord's Supper].  We have papers posted or available on each of these subjects.
 
 There is no room for Gnostic beliefs in the Church of God.

See Newly Revealed Knowledge –Menu item 35  See this here from our first menu Bible study
See How Does God Correct the Church—Menu item 27 ...below in this Bible study

Our doctrine and constitution says much to our mission of spreading the gospel.  It says very little regarding to whom we are spreading it.  Who is our mission field?  What groups does God have us targeting?  What is our intention for each group?  What response are we hoping for with each group?

This question came in from a member some time.  Very interesting subject.  Our doctrine and constitution speak much to our missions of spreading the gospel and feeding the flock, but almost nothing is said specific to our mission field. 

A mission field is an identification of the people to which we are focusing our gospel message.  Not much has been said on this subject in the past. 

Garner Ted Armstrong did make a specific statement as to who is not in our mission field.  None of our efforts are directed at any of the groups who came out of the apostasy of the mother church, the Worldwide Church of God. 

Now to who is in our mission field.

Simple answer:  Our mission field is whomever God wants it to be for whatever reasons and there are more than one.

Explanation:  God defines the mission field.  Some 73 years of experience have shown us that there are a number of groups in the overall mission field.  Each is hearing the gospel for different reasons that all have to do with Godly Calling. 

Keep in mind that God is ultimately calling everyone who has ever lived to the Salvation Process.  The preparation He does prior to the actual calling can cover any number of years and includes the concept of an individual hearing the gospel now for a calling to the Salvation Process in the Second Resurrection.

Let us look at these groups:

1] The Israel Group.  The nations of Israel [US, Canada, UK, Australia, etc.].  Mission is to imprint the gospel message on their minds for later use in the Second Resurrection.

2] The Greater World Group:  Other nations and individuals around the World.  Mission is to imprint the gospel message on their minds for later use in the Second Resurrection.

3] The Firstfruit Group:  All those God is calling now [1934-to the Great Tribulation when gospel spreading by church ends].  Mission is to call them to the Salvation Process.  The second commission of feeding the flock serves this group.

4] The Co-Worker Group:  All those being moved to be regular supporters of the Work of God.  Mission is to call them to this service.  These individuals may be called to firstfruit status or living into the millennium where they will enter Salvation Process or to the Second Resurrection.  Experience does not show large numbers from this group becoming firstfruits now.

5] The 144,000 and Great Multitude Group:  Individuals of Israel in the 144,000 and both Israel and Gentile individuals in the great multitude.  Mission is to imprint the gospel message on their minds for a specific calling to firstfruit status after the Great Tribulation and during the Heavenly Signs and just before the return of Christ.

6] The Millennium Group:  Both Jews and Gentiles.  These are those who will live physically into the millennium where Jesus will reign.  My guess is that we are talking about 770 million people, of which about 12 million will be from the US [my estimates based on end time prophecies].  Suspect most of these will hear the gospel from the two witnesses and/or the angels that preach the gospel in the end time.  Clearly some are getting it now.

The church cannot determine whom God is going to call.

We cannot determine numbers, timing or to which group they will be called.    That is, we cannot define whom we are going after.  We cannot point to any individual and make a distinction as to which group he or she resides. 

Our mission is to spread the gospel where God gives the means and direction.  He opens all the doors and about all we know for sure is that we are to go through them as He directs.  He does this by driving circumstances.  The church generally never sees the miraculous workings of Godly Calling.  What we see are the products of that calling.
God chooses all individuals and all nations to each group according to His perfect will.  We do not define any of these.  There is no real way for us to know who they are. 

We can't see brains being imprinted with the gospel.  We plant seeds and move on and never really see what comes from those seeds, save individuals of the third and fourth groups that specifically interact with the ICG, and even then we do not know for sure according to our diagram of the make-up of churches. 

Not everyone attending Sabbath services is necessarily called or converted.

God gives us little, if any, information regarding His plans or timetable for most of these groups. 

We are to focus on the spread of the gospel and God will surely take care of the rest.  Though we do not know specifics, we definitely know the mission field.

Further Reading:
Numbers, Numbers, Numbers!!
Numbers, Numbers, Numbers - Part 2  
Its All About Godly Calling  --menu item 72
Godly Calling – who has the power here?
Soldiers of Christ – they have no say; they merely obey

What is the difference between "free choice" and "Godly Calling"?

I cover a lot of this ground in Menu item 17 Leaving an Organization. 

Free choice is something humans in the World have.  Once we are called by God, we give up free choice as we know it.  We become a soldier in God's Army or a slave to Jesus Christ.  Godly Calling is among the highest of all spiritual elements.  It all begins with a calling from God.  In this calling, God calls all the shots and our only choice is obey or not, submit or not, remain steadfast or fall away, sin or repent.  Notice some scriptures on our Godly Calling:

Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Note:  We are called according to His purpose.  We must love God and allow ourselves to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.  We decrease and allow Him to increase by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:9 [see Lesson]
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Note:  Again, we are called according to His own purpose.  Clearly this calling is detailed, specific and extensive.  It is all consuming.
Ephesians 1:11
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Note:  We were predestinated to this purpose billions of years ago.  God's will prevails over anything in our will.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Note:  People easily glory in their own decisions, but God has set up a design wherein Christ acts in and through us, with Him getting all the praise and thanks and glory.  He makes the decisions.  We bend and submit to His will.  Christ gave us this example when He said, "but nevertheless, but your will be done Father.

What spiritual lesson do we learn from the biblical town of Ai.
---First battle after Jericho.

Notice the scriptures on Jericho

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?  And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant (Joshua 5:13-14)?  The Living Bible renders the latter part of verse 14 as "Joshua fell to the ground before him and worshiped him and said, 'Give me your commands.' "

--- Joshua had a HUGE problem.
--- He goes to God for help.

--- God gives him specific instructions.   They WIN!!!

What happens next? 

--- Children of Israel come to the small town of Ai.   Scouts sent out.
--- Scouts come back and report [Joshua 7]
--- They say to Joshua, “Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few (Joshua 7:3).

--- Wait a minute!  With the huge problem, they went to God for guidance. 

--- Now, facing a much smaller problem, they rely on their own devices. 
--- They did not feel this important enough to bother God. 

---Did God agree with them or was He about to make a point?   Notice...

 Here is the Living Bible version...

So approximately three thousand soldiers were sent-and they were soundly defeated. About thirty-six of the Israelis were killed during the attack, and many others died while being chased by the men of Ai as far as the quarries. The Israeli army was paralyzed with fear at this turn of events. Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing and lay prostrate before the Ark of the Lord until evening, with dust on their heads.

Now clearly, if you are aware of the other story involved here, the men were smote because of the sin of Achan, a man from the tribe of Judah who had taken booty from the city of Jericho.  God had commanded that no one take anything from that city.  Still, the children of Israel had not gone before God prior to their attempt to take Ai.  They were relying on their own skills and strength.  Had they gone to God, He would have first informed them of the sin of Achan.  This situation would have been resolved and then God would have told them how to take Ai.  Indeed, this is exactly what took place when, with rent clothing and dust on their heads, they went to God to find out what they had done wrong.  He informs them of Achan and gives them instructions that resulted in Achan being taken outside the camp, stoned and buried with his possessions (Joshua 7:15-26).  He then instructs them, in some detail, how to take Ai (Joshua 8:1-29).

The Lesson for Us

--- As we go through our lives and as we go through the Salvation Process, we will encounter problems and trials great and small. 
--- Take ALL your problems and trials to Him. 
--- Do not do anything in this life without going to Him for instructions and guidance. 
--- Acknowledge God in all you do.
--- Any sins will be revealed.
---Only God knows what lies ahead. 
---Even if we believe we are on a winning streak, by consulting Him we are saved from grave mistakes or misjudgments.
---Take both your Jericho and Ai situations to Him. 

How does God correct the church?  By what means would He bring the correction?  What is the essential element that must be present in one to give or receive the correction?  Who would God use to bring the correction?  Who would He not use?

Situation:
--- I receive an e-mail saying we are abundantly wrong on a doctrine or teaching.
--- We have been wrong for 50-2000 years.
--- “I demand you change and correct it now.”

 Side question:  In all that you know about detractors, Satan, false ministers and enemies of the church don’t you expect charges that we are wrong on every single issue in the church at some time or another?

Diagram the situation of how God Corrects the church and what does not work
 

Member considers himself a firstfruit in the Body of Christ		Member feels God is inspiring or directing him to correct the church
	Field church member
	Field member states that he knows church is a true church of God and leader is servant of God
Church		Leader
Field church member	submits correction	to Leader of church
Field member confesses that truth could have only come to him via the Holy Spirit.   He also acknowledges that he will be able to convince the leader because of the Holy Spirit in him.
The begging question:  If God brought the correction to the field member via the Holy Spirit and the leader will be convinced by that SAME Holy Spirit, why wouldn't God bring the correction to the leader in the first place?
Clearly God corrects His church through the leadership of that church.

---We are not talking about apostasy but rather unknown error.
--- The whole conversation about “serious doctrinal error” makes no sense if this IS the true church of God
--- God is in absolute control of the church.  Man is not in charge of it.

--- Question:  Why would God allow major error for 50-2000 years?  How would it be written in the Book of Acts

--- Question:  Why would God use a field church member or outsider to correct the church?  It would open a floodgate of such “corrections”
 

Why the correction coming from a field church member does not work.
--- What we must have:
        a) It must be a true church of God

        b) Its leaders must have the Holy Spirit
        c) the field church member must have the Holy Spirit

        d) the field church member must have gotten correction from God

        e) the field church member counts on Holy Spirit to convince leaders
        f) WHY DIDN’T GOD CONTACT CHURCH DIRECTLY?

        g) …by the way what happens to the field member who fails in his bid to correct the church?  How will God judge him?

MEANWHILE SIMILAR THINGS ARE AFOOT – Biblical descriptions
 
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. –2 Timothy 4:3-4 [see Lesson]

Questions: Who are these people not enduring sound doctrine?  If they are not enduring sound doctrine, what doctrine are they enduring?  Where did those doctrines come from?

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers –Titus 1:10

Questions: Who are these people?  Where are they?  Who are they talking to?  Who is being deceived?

Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
–2 Timothy 3:7-8 [see Lessons]

Questions: Who is ever learning and not coming to the truth?  In the example, is it Moses who was in error?  Who are the reprobates concerning the faith?  What do they want?

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. –1 Timothy 4:1-2 [see Lessons]

Questions: Who is departing from the faith here?  Who is speaking lies?  Is it the church?  Or is it members?

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. –2 Thessalonians 2:3

Questions: Who is falling away?  How does this begin?  What moves them to fall away?

---The Disciples in the Resurrection Argument

God corrects His church DIRECTLY through the power of the Holy Spirit.

 
---End of Text---
 

Questions Covered as of 30 September
The questions handled thus far highlighted in green.  If you wish to hear one again, feel free to ask for that one again.
Up for this coming Friday [our last menu-driven study for now] are 45-67 and 71 so far