Servants’ News Out

The July-August 2008 edition of Norman Edwards’ Servants’ News (SN) is now out. While several of the article titles sounded interesting, the content was disappointing to me at least.

Today, I would like to quote the title of two articles, provide some biblically-based comments, and quote from one other article in it.

The article that first caught my eye was titled Treasures in Heaven, with a subtitle Economic woes are not a threat to the Christian life. And that is true, but since we all have some carnality, it is easy to overlook the fact when hirer gasoline prices and bad economic news make the headlines pretty much every day. The fact that the economies of the USA and UK seem to be more and more debt based is also a concern to those of us in those countries as well as those in nations that trade with them.

The SN article did refer to Matthew 6:20 but did not quote it. Let’s look at it and the surrounding verses:

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:19-34).

In other words, Jesus is teaching that our focus is the Kingdom of God and NOT finances. And that message is as true today as it was nearly 2,000 years ago.

Another disappointing SN article was titled The State of the Church Today: Disheartening Woes? or Doing His Will? It was basically a personal story without real solutions in my view.

The fact is that in this Laodicean time, there are many groups who do not have the Philadelphia work, and only one that does have the Philadelphia work. Jesus made it clear that He did not approve of the work of the Laodiceans:

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’–and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked– 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent (Rev 3:14-19).

Laodiceans need to repent and not kid themselves that Jesus is satisfied with their works. I expect to later post what I believe the true and final work of the Laodiceans will be during the Great Tribulation. For now, however, I urge Laodiceans to repent and to again read what Jesus told them AND what He told the Philadelphians.

Several SN articles took shots against hierarchical church governance and the following seems to be Norman Edwards focus as this is what he personally wrote (bolding his):

Notice what happens when people ask for a king:

So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. 11 And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. 12 He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. 16 And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. 18 And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day” (1Sam 8:10-17)

…The practical truth of the matter is that if all of the present non-voters would expend their collective energies to locate, encourage and vote for righteous people, they could change the nation. In our present system, the only peaceful way to oppose a president who rules like a king is to vote for leaders who are against such excesses.

Jesus did not teach that voting or participating in human government was the solution.

Norman Edwards, and others like him, who have turned away from the usual COG position against voting, are focused on the wrong solution. Those that are not part of the remnant of the Philadelphia portion of the Church of God, which today (organizationally) is represented by the Living Church of God, simply do not have the type of work that Jesus blessed (see Revelation 3:1,7,14-15 where three works receive differing comments from Jesus).

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
Getting the Gospel Out is More than a Local Job Discusses Biblical rationale for doing an international, and not just a local, work.
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president? This is a subject Christians need to understand.
Attending the Church of Choice This article discusses whose choice is important to worship God; should you attend the church of your choice or the church of God’s choice?
Unity: Which COG for You? Why so many groups? Why is there lack of unity in the Churches of God? Has it always been this way? What can/should be done about it?
18 Truths Restored to the Churches of God Herbert W. Armstrong wrote that he felt he had restored at least 18 lost truths to the Church, here is Herbert W. Armstrong’s list given 12/17/83. This articles also has links to show that these truths were believed by professors of Christ in earlier times, hence they were not some invention of Herbert Armstrong.
Do You Believe God Used Herbert W. Armstrong to Raise Up the Philadelphia Era of the Church of God? Nearly everyone while in WCG used to believe this, most do not seem to anymore.
Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Roderick C. Meredith on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had?
The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and COG-7th Day.
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now basically the Living Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era was predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. Non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.