May/June 2004

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=100 BGCOLOR="#CCCCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04000640egdysm.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000066" FACE="Arial" ><B>Church of God, In Truth</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><B>   |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church of God, In Truth"><B>home</B></A><B> | </B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Letters to the Brethren"><B>Up Level</B></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="novemberdecember_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2008">November/December 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="septemberoctober_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2008">September/October 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="julyaugust_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2008">July/August 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="mayjune_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2008">May/June 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="id430.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2008">March/April 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="id422.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2008">January/February 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="id417.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2007">November/December 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="id410.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2007">September/October 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="id409.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2007">July/August 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="id399.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2007">May/June 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="id391.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2007">March/April 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="id385.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2007">January/February 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="id377.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2006">November/December 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="id369.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2006">September/October 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="id368.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2006">July/August 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="id354.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2006">May/June 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="id346.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2006">March/April 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="id338.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2006">January/February 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="id332.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2005">November/December 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id331.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2005">September/October 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id326.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2005">July/August 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id322.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2005">May/June 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id309.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2005">March/April 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id308.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thank You Letter">Thank You Letter</A>   |   <A HREF="id302.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2005">January/February 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id295.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2004">November/December 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id291.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2004">September/October 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id287.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2004">July/August 2004</A>   |   May/June 2004   |   <A HREF="id275.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2004">March/April 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id254.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2004">January/February 2004</A>   |   <A HREF="id253.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2003">November/December 2003</A>   |   <A HREF="id245.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2003">September/October 2003</A>   |   <A HREF="id242.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2003">July/August 2003</A>   |   <A HREF="id238.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2003">May/June 2003</A>   |   <A HREF="id231.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2003">March/April 2003</A>   |   <A HREF="id228.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2003">January/February 2003</A>   |   <A HREF="id221.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2002">November/December 2002</A>   |   <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2002">September/October 2002</A>   |   <A HREF="id211.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2002">July/August 2002</A>   |   <A HREF="id207.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2002">May/June 2002</A>   |   <A HREF="id203.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2002">March/April 2002</A>   |   <A HREF="id199.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2002">January/February 2002</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>Church of God, In Truth</B></div> <div> <A HREF="novemberdecember_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2008">November/December 2008</A></div> <div> <A HREF="septemberoctober_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2008">September/October 2008</A></div> <div> <A HREF="julyaugust_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2008">July/August 2008</A></div> <div> <A HREF="mayjune_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2008">May/June 2008</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id430.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2008">March/April 2008</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id422.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2008">January/February 2008</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id417.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2007">November/December 2007</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id410.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2007">September/October 2007</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id409.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2007">July/August 2007</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id399.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2007">May/June 2007</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id391.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2007">March/April 2007</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id385.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2007">January/February 2007</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id377.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2006">November/December 2006</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id369.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2006">September/October 2006</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id368.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2006">July/August 2006</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id354.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2006">May/June 2006</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id346.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2006">March/April 2006</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id338.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2006">January/February 2006</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id332.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2005">November/December 2005</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id331.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2005">September/October 2005</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id326.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2005">July/August 2005</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id322.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2005">May/June 2005</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id309.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2005">March/April 2005</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id308.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thank You Letter">Thank You Letter</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id302.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2005">January/February 2005</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id295.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2004">November/December 2004</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id291.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2004">September/October 2004</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id287.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2004">July/August 2004</A></div> <div> <B>May/June 2004</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id275.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2004">March/April 2004</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id254.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2004">January/February 2004</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id253.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2003">November/December 2003</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id245.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2003">September/October 2003</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id242.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2003">July/August 2003</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id238.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2003">May/June 2003</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id231.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2003">March/April 2003</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id228.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2003">January/February 2003</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id221.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November/December 2002">November/December 2002</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September/October 2002">September/October 2002</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id211.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July/August 2002">July/August 2002</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id207.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May/June 2002">May/June 2002</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id203.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March/April 2002">March/April 2002</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id199.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January/February 2002">January/February 2002</A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=380 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>May/June 2004</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>PENTECOST</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > </FONT></div> <div> James Russell, Elder </div> <div> To God's scattered Brethren, </div> <div> Greeting to all readers of the Prove All Things. We always enjoy hearing from you! Your phone calls and e-mails are a source of encouragement for us. As a reminder, our new Sabbath conference phone number is 617-328-1785, access code 428. </div> <div> It appears that Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ," stirred people's conscience to be more in tune with Passover this year. We received a great many questions concerning Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread and God's Holy Days in general, through your e-mails and letters. These were a result of the articles found in the last two issues of the Prove All Things and our www.postponement.com web page. These articles were real eye openers for many people. God's Word tells us to "Quench not the Spirit, prove all things; hold fast that which is good [and] abstain from all appearance of evil [traditions of men] and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess 5:19,21-23). This can only be accomplished if God's Word takes precedent over any tradition of men's teachings. </div> <div> Now that Passover and the seven days of eating unleavened bread, that represents putting sin out of our lives, is written into the history book for 2004; should we relax about "examining" ourselves? Are we to put the things we read, heard and studied into our mind's "storage bin" until next spring season? Before storing away these first two steps to God's plan for mankind's salvation, ask yourself: did I keep these appointed times of God on the correct dates and days? It never should be a "bother" to double check and "prove all things" - especially when our salvation is at stake! </div> <div> If God's early chosen apostles and disciples had not followed Christ's clear instructions before His death, they would have never received the promised Holy Spirit. "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, ‘which,' saith He, ‘ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1:4-5). </div> <div> Without having God's Holy Spirit, given to these early called out "loyalist," no one would inherit eternal life. The Apostle John informs us, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24). </div> <div> Other than selected individuals, God's Holy Spirit was delivered to His New Testament Church for the first time - at His appointed time - on the day of Pentecost - to those He chose and called. It was during this vital third step in God's seven step plan, that Jesus Christ founded the New Testament church. Had the Apostles and disciples not followed Christ's instructions to be where He told them to be - on a specific day and date - they would not have received God's promised Holy Spirit! This is why, this period, or any period, of appointed time, must not be postponed! The birth of the Church on the day of Pentecost and the baptism of its members with the Holy Spirit are both fulfillment of the terms of the covenant. It is through Israel that all people have been privileged to have the Bible, which has been translated into over a thousand different languages and dialects so that people of all races may know of God's marvelous saving truth. </div> <div> In the "Ambassador College Correspondence Course,"Volume 35, page 3, the writer states, These holy periods of time are not ‘Jewish.' One of the reasons the vast majority of Jews rejected Christ is that they failed to keep Passover on the right day. And they did not receive the Holy Spirit because they failed to keep Pentecost on the right day! This comment is still viable and applicable today. </div> <div> Many Churches of God today follow the Jewish traditions that the Bible, God's living Word, condemns! There are still churches of God that insist on entertaining and following the Hebrew calendar that "postpones" God's Holy Day Sabbath. By doing this, they will be keeping Pentecost one week late this year! You might be asking yourself, how did that happen? Well, it began by their postponing the first day of God's new year, March 20, 2004, to March 23, 2004 - four days after God's true new moon [ new month and new year]. Request our free reprint articles "Which new moon do you keep,"and Jan/Feb "Elders letter;" both relate information on God's annual Holy Day Sabbaths! </div> <div> When the house of Judah started keeping the wrong new moon and Holy Days during the time of Isaiah, we find God wasting no kind words in correcting them. "Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them" (Isaiah 1:13-14). </div> <div> Judaism, as practiced by the Pharisees, continues to pollute God's Churches today. Christ thundered at the Pharisees time and again, that they were not heeding the warning He gave to Judah in the book of Isaiah! "He answered and said unto them, well has Esaias [Isaiah] prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And He said unto them, full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye" (Mark 7:6-13). </div> <div> Scripture reveals to us in Leviticus 23, how Pentecost is to be counted: "And you shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall you number fifty days; and you shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. And you shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: you shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations" (Leviticus 23:15-16,21). </div> <div> There is only one Sunday within the seven days of Unleavened Bread. It is from this Sunday, April 4, 2004, we are to start our count to find the correct day for Pentecost, making God's annual Holy Day of Pentecost fall on Sunday, May 23, 2004. For those who insist on postponing, and following the traditional Jewish Hebrew calendar, God's important day of Pentecost is postponed a week later to- May 30, 2004! [See "Compare Chart"on the next page]. Proving all things and acting upon it is essential for eternal life! </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Church of God, In Truth </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>