(NB Headings are not part of original, but are added for clarity)
The World Tomorrow
FOT and God's Law
by Herbert W Armstrong
(PLAY FROM START)
And greetings friends. This is Herbert W Armstrong with the Good News of the World Tomorrow.
My friends, get out your Bibles and have a shock! Because I think there is nothing more shocking than to learn that the Bible says exactly the opposite of what you've been taught to think it says. Why have you not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ? We've been hearing a gospel about Christ and about His person. We have been hearing a gospel that we have accepted, and assumed to be the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then we wake up and find out it's only been a message of men about Christ.
Of course we've heard all about Him. We've heard a lot of things about His life and about some of the things He did. But have we heard His message? Have we noticed the example that He set? Why is it my friends that the things they do today are totally different than the things that Jesus did? Or did He set us an example? Have you ever read that Jesus said, "…I have [set] you an example, that you should do as I have done…" (John 13:15 RSV). He said that to His disciples, and in His final commission to them He said; "Go into all the world and teach all men and nations to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…" (Matthew 28:19-20 paraphrased). And He commanded them to follow His steps and to do as He had done to them. And Peter says, over near, the last, and the end of the New Testament, that He set us an example that we should follow His steps. But do we? Do we do what He did? Now let's open our Bibles and let's really see the truth of what it does say. It is the most astonishing thing there is today, I really believe, to open a Bible and really see exactly what it says.
Christ's Example for All to Follow (PLAY FROM 01:56)
Now here in John the seventh chapter, let's get back to it, and I'm going to repeat a few of the verses that I covered in the preceding program. I want you to get the thought. I want you to get this drift. We were in the seventh chapter of John. I think I had come to the nineteenth or twentieth verse. I'm beginning once again back at the eleventh. John 7:11.
"Then the Jews sought him at the feast…" (John 7:11)
Jesus was attending the Feast of Tabernacles. Now right there is something. Almost every word here is something different than we have today, something different than the churches practice today. Something different than we are hearing taught as the gospel today. Let's see what is the gospel. Where do you find the gospel, just from men? Does it come from church boards? When there are hundreds of different sects and denominations, and every one of them has a different doctrine, and each one disagrees with the other? Can you rely on it? And how can you know which one to rely on and which one has authority? And where does the authority come from if not from the original Creator? And is the Bible the Word of God? And if it is, it is God's Word and that carries authority. Let's look to it.
Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles. Now you know, most of you people today, you'd think anyone's crazy that would do that today wouldn't you, if they would attend the Feast of Tabernacles? And yet, my friends, God Almighty instituted the Feast of Tabernacles to be observed forever for all of God's people, not just for Jews. It was for all people that are God's people. And if you become one of Christ's, as you read in Galatians 3:29, then are you Abraham's children.
I don't care what birth you are, or of what race, that makes no difference, because there is neither Greek nor Gentile, male nor female, we're all one in Christ Jesus. It doesn't make any difference what race or nationality you come from, in Christ we're all one. And if we are Christ's, then we are Abraham's children, and you know, God said of Abraham that:
"…I know him, that he will teach and command his children to do the things that I have commanded, even as Abraham." (Genesis 18:19 paraphrased)
That's not word for word, but that's what God said to Abraham. And if we are Abraham's children, we'll have to do the ways and the works of Abraham, so says your Bible. Or did you know that that's there?
Now, Jesus did, and He set us an example, and He was the minister, the mediator of the New Covenant. And He set us an example that we should follow His steps. And He did keep the Feast of Tabernacles and God commanded it forever. And every nation is going to be forced to keep the Feast of Tabernacles very soon, when we have world peace.
Now we will never have world peace until men learn the way of peace. And that's one of the ways, because when Jesus Christ comes as the Prince of Peace, when Jesus Christ comes to bring us world peace, then He will be the King over all the earth. And you'll find that the nations will say:
"…Come let's go up to the God of Jacob and to the house of God and let's learn of his ways and walk in his paths, for the law shall go forth out of Zion [and then] shall they beat their swords into [implements of production] and their spears into pruninghooks [and so on]:" (Isaiah 2:3-4 paraphrased)
And then shall we have peace when Christ is ruling and people are following the ways of God. And before Christ, when He becomes the King of kings to bring us peace at His Second Coming, the same Jesus who was here before, He is coming again. And when He sits on His throne, before Him will be gathered all nations. And He is going to begin to separate them as a shepherd will segregate the sheep from the goats. Now the goats are going to a rather bad end, but the sheep are going to come and He'll say:
"…Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" (Matthew 25:34)
All In Christ Will Suffer Persecution (PLAY FROM 06:05)
Now we read in Zechariah 14, that at that time all nations will have to come up, "…to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16). Oh, but that is astonishing today, and people would say, "Yeah, but what would other people think?" Well I tell you, they'll think your crazy, that's exactly what they'll think. Well you say, "I wouldn't do that, because that would bring on persecution." And the Bible says in your New Testament, if you believe in it, it says that
"…all [who] will live godly in Christ Jesus [if your are in Christ Jesus, all] shall suffer persecution." (II Timothy 3:12)
Those who claim to be in Christ Jesus today, let me tell you, very few of them suffer persecution. Now what is it to live godly in Christ Jesus? It's to do the thing that will make you happy. It's to do the thing that makes you a blessing to others and will help to make others happy. It's the very thing that will make life worth living and make it worthwhile, and there's only one way and that's God's way. But because the world doesn't go that way and because we're such, what are we, egotistical idiots of some kind?
Anyhow, whatever we are, we fear what other people are going to think about us so much that we couldn't do anything, whether it's right or not. We couldn't do anything to get eternal salvation, if we think other people wouldn't think well of us. Jesus Christ said; "Woe [to] you, when men speak well of you…" (Luke 6:26 paraphrased)! But we want men to speak well of us and we don't care very much about what's going to happen tomorrow or throughout eternity.
Well, there we are, Jesus was at the Feast of Tabernacles. Now let's hurry along.
"And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him [much complaining and talk and gossip]: for some said, He is a good man: [but] others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people." (John 7:12)
Some said, "Well I think He's a good man." Others, "No Sir, I don't think so, He's a deceiver. He's deceiving the people." There are a great many that'll tell you that I am a deceiver, my friends, because I come in His name, and I speak His words, and I preach the same thing that He preached exactly. And if I do, they will tell you that I am a deceiver. Now if you don't want to be spoken of as a deceiver, then speak what is pleasing to men! Speak what men want to hear, because the Bible "…is profitable to correct us and to reprove us and to instruct us in righteousness" (II Timothy 3:16 paraphrased): But, "…men [love] darkness rather than the light because their deeds are evil." (John 3:19)
So, a lot of them said Jesus was deceiving the people. Why don't you read your Bible, and see who's deceived, and who is being deceived, and doing the deceiving? You read your Bible. You read it and study it on your knees. You ask God to reveal the truth to your heart. If your heart is open and right with God, and if your mind is open and freed from prejudice, God will show you my friends, if you are willing.
"Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews. Now [and there it's referring undoubtedly to the rulers among them, their leaders, or especially the Scribes and Pharisees. Now] about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" (John 7:13-15)
Oh, having no letters means that he was highly educated in a kind of education that only a few had. Now, even Peter and James and John were unlettered in that sense. They were not ignorant actually, and there is one passage that speaks of them as ignorant and unlearned men. That is not exactly a right translation in that place in the book of Acts, because they were not actually ignorant in the sense that we would call a man ignorant today. They were really well educated, but they were not educated in the fine manners that is meant by this 'letters' here.
And Jesus even had that. He had everything. Well he was the perfect man, however I don't think He had any of the kind of etiquette, or manners, or culture that leads into snobbishness, and the kind that exalts the self or anything of that sort. But He had everything in the way of culture that had to do with that principle of loving your neighbor as yourself, and being kind and courteous to the other fellow. And there's a great deal in good manners, you know, that we could all very well cultivate.
Not The Doctrine Of Men But From God (PLAY FROM 10:42)
Well, "Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." (John 7:16)
And to you my friends, who have heard people telling you a good many things about the voice that you are hearing now, let me say that my doctrine is not mine, it's His that sent me. I say as Jesus did, my doctrine is not mine. My doctrine was different. My doctrine was something I had to give up. My doctrine was something I had to surrender. My doctrine was something I had to repent of and forsake, because God showed me it was wrong. And God walloped me and struck me down, in a different manner but by the same principle that He did the apostle Paul.
And just as the apostle Paul said that when God 'called me,' as he said here in Galatians, that when God had first called him, that he did not consult with other men or with flesh and blood. But he said:
"Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them [that] were apostles before me; but I went [to] Arabia…" (Galatians 1:17)
And he said the gospel that he preached was not of men and he did not get it from men. My friends, I can say the same thing. I did not get what I preach to you from men. I did not get it from any church denomination. I did not get it from any sectarian creed. I didn't get it from the teaching of men. I didn't get it, as you do in so many theological institutions, from books written by men. I got if from God and from the very WORD of God! And if I speak the word of God and speak it faithfully and speak it truthfully and if I speak the message of the God who has called me and sent me to you, then I call on you to listen.
And he that has an ear, I warn, you'd better be hearing while you may, because very soon, there is going to come a famine of hearing the Word of God.
People don't seem to like the Word of God, they don't want the true Word of God, they would rather have the fables of men. Men that come in the name of Jesus Christ. Men who exalt Him and say that Jesus is the Christ. But men who do not speak His message, but speak the message of men, and of the men who sent them. Jesus said that He came in the name of His Father and they wouldn't listen to Him. But He said that if another man would come in his own name, in the name of men, they would listen. And that's exactly what they are doing today.
Now Jesus said, "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." (John 7:16)
That's what I give you, my friends, the same doctrine. It's in your Bible. Will you open your Bibles and look at it?
And He said; "If any man will do his will…" (John 7:17)
The will of the Father. Now there is doing, there is obedience. And what is the Father's will but the Father's commandments? He said; "…I have kept my Father's commandments…" (John 15:10). Today you hear so many preachers tell you that you'll be under a curse if you do that. You must obey the commandments of men or you'll be under a curse. Little men go along trying to belittle the word of God, and the minister of God. Trying to tell you that God is not quite fair. That God's way is not right, that God made a mistake when He gave you His law and His commandments.
I'm not talking about the rituals, and the meat and drink offerings, and the animal sacrifices, of the ritualistic law of Moses, at all. I'm talking about the spiritual law of God, the principle of life. Why the whole duty of man is to know that law and to keep it. And if any man says;
"…I know him [I know Christ, I know God], and keepeth not his commandments, [that man] is a liar; and the truth is not in him." (I John 2:4 paraphrased)
You'll read that in I John, the second chapter, and the fourth verse. It is the fourth verse and the second chapter of I John.
False Teachers and Doctrine (PLAY FROM 14:33)
Now Jesus said here; "If any man will do his will…" (John 7:17)
Today they'll say; "Why brother, don't you know there isn't any doing? There isn't any works, you just believe, you just accept Christ." That's what they tell you today, and I tell you my friends, they are leading you into Gehenna fire. That's exactly where they are leading you by that teaching. "…And when the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall in the ditch" (Matthew 15:14 paraphrased). They are not teaching you as Jesus taught. Jesus said;
"If any man do his will, he shall know the doctrine…" (John 7:17)
No wonder they don't know the doctrine of God today. They know the doctrine of religious leaders. They know the doctrine of denominations and churches, but they don't know the doctrine of God. You'll find it in the Bible, and it's only those who will do the will of the Father that shall know the doctrine. Now you find, that's in the New Testament, and you find the companion text to that, back in the one hundred eleventh Psalm. The one hundred eleventh Psalm, where it says that:
"The works of his hands are verity and judgment [what did He do with His hands? He wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger, with His own hand. And it says here; the works of his hands are verity and judgment]; all his commandments are sure [that's what it's speaking of, all of His commandments, not part of them, not nine of them, not one of them or three of them but all of them]. They stand fast for ever and ever…" (Psalm 111:7-8)
What stand fast forever and ever? All His commandments. That doesn't sound like they were nailed to the cross. And they tell you today, 'Why don't you know that was all done away and nailed to the cross.' My friends, is all scripture given by inspiration of God? Was this scripture given by inspiration of God? This is in your Bible, read it with your own eyes. Don't let people say, "That's a false prophet." Don't let people tell you anything of that sort. Read it with your own eyes. Get out your own Bible, blow the dust off of it. Psalms 111, this scripture is given by inspiration of God:
"The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure [all of them, not part of them, they, all of them] …stand fast for ever and ever [that's for the ages of the ages, every age, not just some age that has ended. That's all the ages, all for ever and ever, always], and are done in truth and uprightness." (Psalm 111:7-8)
Now the tenth verse says:
"The fear of the [Eternal] is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have [who?] all they that do his commandments…" (Psalm 111:10)
And today they teach you not to do it. Today they teach you the commandments are contrary to your interests. And the commandments of God are the way of peace. The reason we don't have world peace is because the world has thumbed its nose at the Ten Commandments. And have spit in the face of God, just as they did to Jesus Christ when they mocked Him, and spit in His face, taking Him out to crucify Him. And, my friends, they are doing the same thing today, as you read in Titus the first chapter, the sixteenth {1} verse; "…in works they deny him…" (Titus 1:16)
"They profess that they know [Him; with their mouths they call themselves, the servants, the ministers of Jesus Christ] but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient…"(Titus 1:16)
Yes, turning the grace of our God; they preach lots of grace and they turn it into lasciviousness, license to disobey. That's what you are hearing today. Jesus said if any man will do His will he shall know the doctrine. "…a good understanding have all they they that do his commandments…" (Psalm 111:10). There you are. If you wonder why you do get a good understanding on this broadcast, my friends, there's the reason.
It didn't come from me. I wasn't born with it. I wasn't gifted with it. It comes from surrender. It comes from obedience. It comes from doing His commandments.
What Does God Think And Why? (PLAY FROM 18:18)
Almighty God struck me down and made me willing until - well all of the confidence, the self confidence and everything of that sort had to flee. And where practically the breath had gone out, and where there wasn't much of self left, and I had taken a great licking. And when I took it, and when I was willing to look to God, and not to go to men but to God and His Word and, as I advise you to do, do it on my knees looking for the truth, and hungering and thirsting for truth and not what would please men.
You know at first I had this battle, 'What are men going to think?' And you know, my friends, I have perhaps had more of the wealthy, and of the great, and near great, in this world as my friends, than most of you have had. Because I numbered among those that I had had contact with and done business with, and had known pretty well, some of this world's richest and greatest chief executives of big corporations, big business men. Men even in the Cabinet of the President of the United States, United States' Senators, College Presidents, Deans of big departments in some of the big Universities. I had known important men. I had done business with that kind of people. I have known the world's greatest bankers in Wall Street, New York and South La Salle Street in Chicago. I knew some of those - a man that was President of the second largest national bank in the United States. I knew him so intimately that I went to him with all - for all personal problems.
When I began to think, 'What are my friends going to think?' And I had to forget that and begin to think, 'What is God going to think?' And so will you. I don't think that your friends are any more important than those that I had known. And I found that I would have to be willing to give it up, and to give them up, and to not care what they thought of me. But to be a little more interested in what God is going to think, and know whose going to really be running this world a generation from now.
Because we're living in the generation that is going to live into two different worlds. This world is dying. This world is reeling on it's last legs now. This world is crashing down in revolution. You know there's never been a time in the history of the world like you're living in right now. This is not normal. Nothing is normal today, even the weather isn't normal. The weather is changing completely, and I tell you, the weather is playing all kinds of tricks. It's topsy-turvey, and there is a change in weather that has never occurred before in any modern times. Weather is changing, and there's a great significance in it.
Earthquakes are happening more and more all the time. It's getting so that we don’t pay any attention to them any more. South America, you read of them all over, in places where they never had earthquakes before. They're getting them now. Nations are crashing down to their ruin. This is a time of world revolution. This is not a normal time. This is the age that is going to live into another world: the world tomorrow. And you are hearing the advance news, the good news of the world tomorrow.
But it's a world that will be sick and tired of its own ways. A world that will turn to God, and to God's ways, and seek His ways and find them. A world that will seek the law of God, and the whole earth will be filled with the law of God and the truth of God. And then we'll have world peace. And then we'll begin to have world prosperity. And then there won't be any poverty, and there won't be any headaches and heartaches. And there won't be any of this fear and worry that besets nearly everyone of us today.
What's wrong about all of that? Is God so wrong after all? Why don't we really try to find God? People write about this search for God, and trying to find God. They don't want to find God, they just want to find their own way and call it God. Let's be honest. Let's confess about it. Do we really want God? If you do, you'll have to forsake your way, if you want God.
Why, it was written by Isaiah long ago, and remember that the New Testament Church is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets.
Foundation Of the Apostles and Prophets (PLAY FROM 22:40)
And here's one of the prophets on which the Church is built, telling you the way to salvation. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy:
"…from a child thou has know the holy scriptures [that], are able to make thee wise unto salvation…" (II Timothy 3:15)
These were the Old Testament scriptures, the only ones written at that time that he knew.
"Seek ye the [Eternal] while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way [his own way], and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the [Eternal], and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7 paraphrased)
But God won't hear sinners. God will only hear you when you forsake your way, and the way of man. And the way that men have been going on this earth, that has brought all this unhappiness and this war, and this chaos, this mountain of human woe on this earth. For God says:
"…my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the [Eternal]. (Isaiah 55:8)
Today they are trying to deceive you into following the ways of humanity, while you claim to believe in Christ, and think you get salvation that way. My friends, when will this world come to its senses? Jesus said:
"If any man will do his [the Father's] will, he shall know the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:17)
And I'll tell you, my friends, whenever you come to the place of being willing to do the will of God that created you, and that gives you the breath you breathe, you'll know who the false prophets are, and whose telling you the truth.
I don't preach what is popular. I don't preach for money. You don't hear me ask for money on this program do you? And sometimes you don't know how we need it, but we don't ask you for it. Neither do we ask you for it in the literature when you write in. It's free, and we have to trust God. You don't know how our faith is tried, but God has never forsaken us, and He always supplies the need as He always will. Oh, I found that God is faithful and true, but men will play you false. You'd better find out where your only true friend is, and it's God Almighty.
"He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh [the] his glory that sent him [which is God that he is referring to here], the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?" (John 7:18-19)
And they went about to try to kill Christ. Now He continued. Well, next it says here in the twentieth verse, John seven now, verse twenty:
"The people answered and said, Thou hast a [demon]: who goeth about to kill thee [no, why you're crazy, whose going about trying to kill you? And] Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work and ye all marvel." (John 7:20-21)
He is talking about the the work he had done, and he set us an example, and there is work for us to do. But we want a lot of labor saving gadgets, and push buttons and things today, and we don't even want to do the work of God. We get weary with it don't we?
"Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) [that's Abraham, Isaac and Jacob] and you on the sabbath day circumcise a man. [now] If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken…" (John 7:22-23)
In other words they were willing to break the law of God rather than brake the law of Moses. And there is a difference. Now all laws came from God, don't misunderstand me, but one is called the law of Moses, all except in one place in the Bible. And the other is the Ten Commandments, the spiritual law that came from God. Actually, the distinction is that one law is spiritual, and the other is carnal and fleshly. And they broke the spiritual law of God in order to keep the fleshly law of Moses. He said:
"…are you angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?" (John 7:23)
Turn back to John 5:1 and you'll see the reference to that. He had healed on the Sabbath. " Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment [He said]" (John 7:24).
Well, oh I wish I could go on, I'm just getting to the interesting part. Just coming to the interesting part and we're going to have to break off there until tomorrow.
{1} Mr Armstrong says verse six instead of sixteen.