May/June 2007

<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><B>    |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church of God, In Truth"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> back to<B>  </B><A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Letters to the Brethren"><B>Letters to the Brethren</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <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" 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<bR> <div> Pete Fleming - Elder</div> <bR> <div>      As God instructs us, we have been carefully counting the 50 days from the day after the Sabbath that falls within the Days of Unleavened Bread, and are now closing in on May 20, 2007, the Day of Pentecost.  What does the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost teach us?  We believe that we are specifically called by the Father (John 6:44) to be, after His Son, His firstfruits of salvation.  The others in the world, are not yet called, but they have their place in the fall Holydays. </div> <div>      In all the time that has passed since that first century Day of Pentecost, Satan has not given up.  He is pro-actively busy going about his deceitful business, with great wrath.  He is stirring up human carnality as never before and he is trying to derail us as firstfruits to our God.  Why does Satan hate the feast of Pentecost with such passion? Why is he so stirred up against God's people during this season?</div> <div>      The history of Israel and yes, even the Church, is one of broken relationships with our Father and Jesus Christ and with our fellow brethren in the faith. There is a great trail of Satan-instigated wreckage throughout the history of God's Church.  Why?  Well, even that, God uses as a  part of His method of testing and sifting out a firstfruits for His family!  Satan has not forgotten the words of Jesus in Matt. 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter [Petros], and on this rock [petra - speaking of Himself] I will build My Church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”  That's why Satan hates this day with a passion!  It reminds him that, despite all of his demented, warped, confusing and destructive methods to destroy God's firstfruits - he has not!  He has come close - through severe persecution and the dispersion of the Church at the close of the first century - close during the dark ages - close during the great Catholic Inquisition - close at so many times through out history.  But still, Satan has failed to destroy the firstfruits - they have survived!</div> <div>      And even though the true Church of God is splintered and fractured in these last days, it still has faithful brethren like yourselves, who hold to the truth of God and reject the fables of men. Despite all that Satan can throw against the Church of the firstfruits in these latter days, when we stand back and look at the splintered remains of the Church of the living God, we see the evidence of our beneficent Father answering Jesus Christ's final prayer before He bled His life away nailed to the stake.  Let us go again to that great prayer of Jesus Christ, which He poured out to God with heartrending passion, on the eve of His great sacrifice for all mankind: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; That they all may be one; as You, Father, art in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them, as You have loved Me” (John 17:20-23).</div> <div>      Despite all that a vengeful, wrathful Satan can throw at God's Church of the firstfruits in this end-of-the-end time, that prayer is being answered!  You are a living, vital testimony to that!  Look at the works of this little group: how many we reach with so few and so little.  We have a faithful leadership, who have sacrificed many years to bring us truth about the postponements in God's calendar.  We have new truth emerging about Pentecost and the firstfruits.  I encourage you to read and study and yes, even comment on the articles in the magazine this month.  “Iron sharpens iron,” as we used to say.  </div> <div>      In the season of firstfruits, this feast of Pentecost, let your mind dwell on how special you are to God.  In all humility go to your loving Father and ask Him to reveal to you, by the power of His Holy Spirit, just how special you are to Him as a firstfruit!  “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (I Pet. 2:9-10).</div> <div>      Think on this as we enter this feast of Pentecost - think on what a scarce commodity you are: God's special treasure (Mal. 3:17).  Special because there are so few!  You are chosen, and specially purchased with the highest price that the Father of all that is seen and unseen could pay - the life of the Logos, Who came in the flesh, as His only begotten Son - firstborn of <B>many</B>!  We are first generation of the God-family!  We are spiritual Israel!  We are to be born into the God family. </div> <div>      Think on these things this Pentecost. Think on your high calling of total sacrifice to God.  Think on and talk to your God in increased prayers of thanks and acknowledgment of how special you are to Him, and ask Him for the help to fulfill to the ultimate degree, by the power of His Holy Spirit dwelling within you, your most incredible human potential as one of His precious and special firstfruits! </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Church of God, In Truth </div> <div> P.O. Box 1120 </div> <div> Kimberling City, MO 65686-1120</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tel:  417-338-0033</B></div> <div> <B>Fax: 417-338-0031</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Contact:   James Russell, Elder                                 Or                                    Pete Fleming, Elder</div> <div> Tel: 951-737-0559                                                                                             Tel: 830-885-5502</div> <div> E-mail: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="mailto:cogit@flash.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:cogit@flash.net"><U>cogit@flash.net</U></A></FONT>                                                                                     E-mail: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="mailto:pmf06@gvtc.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:pmf06@gvtc.com"><U>pmf06@gvtc.com</U></A></FONT> </div> <bR> <div> Spanish:                                                                                                             Philippines:</div> <div> Martin Martinez                                                                                                 Sotero Sonza</div> <div> Tel: 787-786-5856                                                                                             Tel: 0639168814846</div> <div> E-mail: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><U>martin2k@onelinkpr.net</U></FONT>                                                                        <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="mailto:Soterosonza@yahoo.com.ph" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Soterosonza@yahoo.com.ph"><U>Soterosonza@yahoo.com.ph</U></A></FONT> </div> <div>           </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Our Sabbath Telephone Conference number is <B>toll free:</B> 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: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="http://www.postponements.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.postponements.com"><U>www.postponements.com</U></A></FONT>  Also at 11:30 AM Pacific time zone.  Click on live sermons!</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>