Thank You Letter
Church Of God, In Truth
P.O. Box 2109 CORONA, CA 92878
Jan. 24, 2005
Dear Brethren and Co-workers,
As God=s servant I want to thank you for helping to finance God=s truth and warn God=s people of the deceitful errors that has been found in the Jewish Hebrew Calendar and the watering down of God=s doctrines! I humbly and deeply appreciate your loyal support and dedication in standing firm for God=s truth!
As we approach Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, who would have thought we would be sending our freewill offerings and tithes to a Church of God, called the Church of God, In Truth? I don=t think any of us even remotely planned such a thing. But here we are finding out we have been postponing God=s Holy time. Recognizing this fact should alert us to AStudy to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth@ (2 Tim 2:15). A.....That you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth@ (1 Tim 3:15).
A question we need to ask ourselves as Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread and time of examining ourselves draw near. Are we praying more discerning, with greater understanding of the importance of God=s soon coming Kingdom? Are we asking God to increase us spiritually with His truth, love, faith and a clear vision that we might live life His way, being witnesses for Him that brings glory to His name?
Perhaps the way we talk to God is a good indicator of our growth toward perfection and thus a fairly good way to evaluate ourselves. Examining ourselves is in most cases fairly easy. We can see we did this or that wrong, but getting a grip on a measurement of growth is much more difficult. I don=t think we will ever be able to measure growth as simply as one can with a child developing from year to year. But we should be able to say AYes@ I am praying more about others, with greater understanding, and making better judgment of what I feel their needs are in making requests to God for them. AYes,@ I am studying more effectively and applying myself to understand.
Above all brethren and co-workers, are we crying out night and day for God=s Kingdom to come, because we see pain being inflicted upon mankind by Satan and the sin he dispenses?
Thank God for His promise of sending Jesus Christ and for the forgiveness of sins. We are justified by His blood and saved by His life. This is why proving when Passover and all of God=s Holy appointed times are should be vitally important to all of us!
When God=s Church [youB His ecclessia] share this truth with others, it requires all of us to physically sacrifice. This sacrificing comes in the form of different ways, for some it may be through prayer and faith, to others paying tithes, giving Holy day offerings three times a year along with free-will offerings.
The practice of the Church of God, In Truth has beenB not to beg for money. God sees and knows His Church=s needs. He recognizes we understand Him when He reminds us of the mistakes of our forefathers. AEven from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from Mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But you said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse: for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it@ (Mal 3:710).
Many God has called reject this message of blessings and truths, ignoring our Lord Jesus Christ=s clear instructions that say, AThink not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven@ (Matt 5:1720).
Obeying Christ=s clear instructions in Matthews writings, brings us back to finishing what He said in Malachi. AThen they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall you return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not@ (Mal 3:1618).
Obeying God has to be top priority, just reading God=s Word, memorizing His words and knowing where every verse is located in the Bible is not going to put your name in the Book of remembrance. It=s practicing and acting upon what you read from God=s Word that will allow your name to be written in the Book of Life! Remember Christ= admonition, AFor where your treasure is, there will your heart be also@ (Luke 12:34).
Once again let me sincerely thank you for your loyal generous support of the Church of God, In Truth!
In Christian love,
James Russell, Elder