They can't talk about Jesus or anything the guy accomplished, did or said, but they sure can talk about painted faces, vanity and sin....and Herbert Armstrong.
The early apostles are respected today by most true and professing Christians. However, Mr. Armstrong, the end-time apostle and leader of the 6th era of God's Church is not respected as an apostle by many of former members of the WCG.
Truth is put into God's Church through the apostles according to what Mr. Armstrong taught us and I see men injecting their "truths" into or removing Mr. Armstrong the end-time apostle's doctrines from their organizations.
The doctrine that Mr. Armstrong is the third Elijah or end-time Elijah is, I believe, an era difference: Philadelphia vs Laodicea. I believe that in general, the Philadelphians believe Mr. Armstrong is the end-time Elijah and the Laodiceans do not.
The makeup doctrine is different in that according to Mr. Armstrong wearing
makeup is a sin.
Quote:
That eye shadow on your face will keep you out of Armstrong's kingdom. Imagine a god so picky that makeup is a salvation changer. What idiots!It is put on the face for one or both of two general reasons: 1) to be like the world around you -- to be CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, in direct DISOBEDIENCE to God's command; or else, 2) "to look nice," as women express it, which means simply, to CHANGE the appearance so as to make the face prettier than it naturally is -- WHICH IS VANITY! Either is a violation of God's Law, and A SIN! Actually, the only reason a woman wishes to conform to the world is VANITY -- fearing what the world will think, more than fearing GOD -- CARING more for the world and what it thinks than for GOD and what looks right IN HIS SIGHT!A woman may try to REASON and ARGUE around it, but every woman knows in her heart this is THE TRUTH. Every woman who has been CONQUERED by the Eternal God -- who is yielded to HIM -- who has repented and is converted who HAS AND IS LED BY GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT -- will admit this, and TURN FROM THIS SIN! from "Truth About Makeup" by Herbert W. Armstrong, 1964, 1968 edition
Now, this is not an "I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ" type of difference of administration or difference of personality. This is a Satan vs God difference of administration. If you are sinning you are of Satan and not of Christ and are not truly a part of God's True Church unless you repent.
Mr. Armstrong invoked a higher office when he rendered that final decision on makeup, and he did make it plain that it was final.
And this doctrine may also be an era difference defining doctrine that separates the Philadelphians from the Laodiceans but this is a doctrine that one is eventually going to have to repent of to be in God's Kingdom. Otherwise, it is a True Church vs Apostates defining doctrine, like Mr. Armstrong's administration vs Joseph Tkach administration and not a Philadelphian vs Laodicean difference.
As Mr. Armstrong at least once related that when he left someone else in charge of a congregation, in his early ministry, and left for a while and soon the members would be scattered. A parallel today is after his death, the sheep are again scattered. Each leader with a sales pitch to the sheep to choose which subset of doctrines they would like to adhere to be a part of his group (thankfully a few of the faithful ministers are still holding fast to all the doctrines we were taught).
Laodicea: "I'll have a weekly Sabbath and all the annual Holy Days. Hold the anti-makeup, anti-birthdays and 3rd tithe doctrines, please."
Isn't that what this type of picking and choosing is all about for Laodicea--the people decide.
God's apostle and end-time Elijah restored the truths that we should all be holding fast to. There is no picking or choosing.
