Helping “Prepare the Bride” for Christ is our first and overall quest. He is ready for the marriage, we are not. We need to do all we can to give our hearts entirely to Him and be as much like Him as we can be by the time we die, or He returns. He wants a bride totally committed—heart, mind, body and soul to Him and His purposes.
We are entreated to think as He thinks (let this mind be in you...), walk as He walks, to live by every word of God. The reason we, Worldwide Church of God, were all spewed out was lack of heart—lukewarmness. The zeal and “doing everything with our might” was missing. It was not primarily doctrine, apart from the Tkach debacle, but attitude that put us where we are today scattered, confused, frustrated. Or on the other hand, blissfully unaware that anything is wrong “in our group.”
It is the aim of A Congregation of God to look first at ourselves and fix our own attitudes and conduct. If we can be a light to others, well and good. If by sermons we post, we can help others along their spiritual road to the Kingdom of God, so much the better.
Under WCG, many were called, and now a few are being selected to finish the end-time work of God and round out the 144,000 selected as the bride. Herbert Armstrong fulfilled Mat. 28:19-20—calling many disciples.
The two witnesses and the remnant soon to be gathered (read Haggai and Zech 1-4, Rev. 11) will fulfill
Mat. 24:14. That is, preach the gospel around the world and then the end shall come. It will come 3 1⁄2 days after the two witnesses are killed in the streets of Jerusalem at the end of the 1260 day great tribulation.
Even the two final witnesses are told not to go to the world at first, but to the church. Compare Rev. 11:1-2 and Zech. 4. God's concern NOW is all of us repenting of Laodiceanism. Herbert Armstrong told the ministry just before his death that “my job is finished (preaching to the world), now get the church ready.” Once the church is prepared, power will be given to go to the world (Rev. 11:3-4)
A Congregation of God moved our headquarters to a low population area near the Southern Utah/Northern Arizona border in 2001 to buy land and provide a place for like-minded people to gather and live together in godly harmony in order that “iron might sharpen iron” and enhance our spiritual development.
Unfortunately, the works of the flesh fight against the fruit of the Spirit and we had a rebellion that was generated via false accusations against the pastor, a rent strike and a lawsuit that asked the court to make ex-members and never-ever members, members again. And then to turn the land and other assets of the church over to them and dissolve the church! That action was settled out of court via a Tenants-In-Common agreement that gave each of the rebels an ownership share in the residential area of the property. Yet they persist in extortion efforts obviously aimed at a complete take-over of church assets and removal of the pastor.
The pastor and the still-faithful membership have filed a lawsuit asking that the rebels be indicted for theft by extortion of 43 acres they obtained by rent-strike, intimidation, false accusations, attempted bribery, blackmail, lying and fraud--all felonies under the official definition of extortion in Arizona statutes.
We had a peaceful community for years until human nature reared its ugly head. Now our quest is to restore peace and “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Immanuel)” Phil 3:14. Again, the prize of the first-fruits is to be the bride of Christ and we must fight past any distractions in preparation for that high calling.
