November/December 2005
Dear Brethren,
God’s crystal clear words instruct us by saying, "Thou shalt observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates. Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice" (Deut 16:13-15). When reading God’s Word there is never a hint to delay, detain, hold up, change, or postpone His Sabbath, be it a weekly Sabbath or a Holy Day Sabbath!
With this important appointment on my and my wife’s mind, we felt this would be a good time to give ourselves the opportunity to visit the Oklahoma brethren that meet with us on the phone hook up every Sabbath. We left California on Tuesday August the 30th . On our drive through the state of Oklahoma we noticed about half the farming land had been plowed under and being readied for planting their spring crops. Being a city dweller and not a farmer, this caught our attention. We spent The Day of Trumpets [Sep.3rd] with the brethren and shared in eating the potluck they had prepared for after services. Their hospitality illuminated the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit.
We left Oklahoma and headed for Branson West, Missouri to deliver from there the sermon for the Day of Atonement [Sep.12th]. While in Branson West we stayed at a time share unit we had reserved. On our first afternoon there, we were sitting on the patio when the next door neighbors from Nebraska [the state where my wife was born] came to visit with us. He told us they owned several hundred acres of corn that was ready to be harvested, but he and his wife were hoping it would not rain until their time share week was over. Their concern brought to my mind what I had read in the "Farmer’s Almanac 2005." It had reported for this year, "September and October will be warmer and drier than normal". They were interesting to talk to because of their farming knowledge and technics used. He said they used methanol gas made from the corn to run their trucks and tractors and found it was cleaner burning than the gas made from oil.
After the Day of Atonement we were ready for God’s Feast of Tabernacles and God’s Last Great Day which started Sept.17th and ran through Sept. 24th! Wow! What a beautiful Feast it was. We had just enough chairs to go around, with not much elbow room left over. The sermons and sermonettes, opening and closing prayers, songs, and special music could not have been more inspiring! The spiritual food and atmosphere was taken in like a sponge dipped in water. We had three fellow-shipping pot-lucks, a fish fry at a private home on Table Rock Lake, a thought provoking movie, a sing along after one of the pot-lucks, and on Friday evening, we watched a documentary on "The Riddle of the Exodus," by James D. Long. It took us on a journey of discovery and proof of Israel’s existence and exodus from Egypt. God’s Feast of Tabernacles this year again helped us to catch up on the fellow-shipping we miss out on by not living close together.
On our way back home to California we again noticed that all the farms we had passed while going to the Feast, were now plowed up and those that had been plowed up earlier, were now showing some green growth against the back ground of Oklahoma’s deep red soil. After seeing this with our own eyes, we knew our second tithe was being spent at the proper time of God’s request and we were keeping the Feast of Tabernacles
were spending our second tithe properly and keeping God’s Feast’s in their appointed time and season! "Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set His name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household" (Deut 14:22-26).
One of the primary reasons for going to God’s Feast of Tabernacles is to learn to "fear the Lord God always"- meaning "to reverence as one’s parents, to fear God properly is to reverence Him, as the avenger of wrong; hence to be godly, upright" Compliance with these divine requirements should impress God’s called with the proper fear of the Lord and should encourage steadfastness in our relationship with Him! "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding" ( Job 28:28). "But as for me, I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy: and in Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple" (Psa. 5:7). "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate" (Prov. 8:13). "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death" (Prov. 14:27). "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility (Prov. 15:33). "The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil" (Prov.19:23).
After arriving home and checking the e-mail God’s office had received two e-mails from brethren living in Kenya and another from the Phillippines, who kept God’s Feast’s with us at its appointed time. First, those in Kenya said it was a good feast and thanked us for the help and gifts we had sent them. Evans Ochieng, who represents the Church of God, in Truth there, implied they ate all their meals together through out the week of the Feast and will be sending us some pictures of their activities..
We also heard from Romeo Samudio in the Phillippines that said, "Of my 16 years of observing the fall Holy Days, this is the first time he could honestly say, ‘My best Feast ever.’ He and those meeting together with him, felt this Feast was their best Feast ever. They all felt overwhelmed with the sense of fulfillment! He also mentioned sending us pictures taken during the Feast.
My wife and I can not express the deep happiness and joy these e-mails bring us, knowing we had the same feeling here in Branson West, Missouri, as we came together spiritually - knowing we could not afford to be physically with our called and like-minded brethren from around the world that are in various nations.
Church of God, In Truth
P.O. BOX 2109
Corona, CA. 92878 USA
Tel: 951-737-0559
Fax: 951-279-7302
Contact: James Russell, Elder Or Pete Fleming, Elder
Tel: 951-737-0559 Tel: 512-847-1131
E-mail: cogit@flash.net E-mail: pmf@asapchoice.com
Our Sabbath Telephone Conference number is toll free: 1-888-330-9937. An automated speaker will ask for your access code. After the beeps, enter 346041 followed by the # sign. Hook-up time is 11:30 AM Pacific time zone. The Sabbath Internet Conference is found at: www.postponements.com Also at 11:30 AM Pacific time zone. Click on live sermons!