March/April 2008

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height=380 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>                                 ______________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div>                               “REMEMBER GOD'S WORDS”</div> <div>                                 ______________________________________________________</div> <bR> <bR> <div>                                                                                                                                          James Russell, Elder</div> <div>  </div> <div> Letter to God's scattered brethren and co-workers;</div> <div>  </div> <div>         Greetings from The Church of God, in Truth's new office in Branson West, Missouri.  Moving from sunny Southern California to the middle of the U.S.A, where we now will have four seasons will prove to be a real change and challenge in weather for us.  Our new address is P.O. Box 1060, Branson West Missouri, 65737-1060.  The new Church office phone number is 417-338-0033, and fax number is 417-338-0031.  Our office E-mail stayed the same: cogit@flash.net.  We are looking forward to hearing from you!</div> <div>       I titled this letter "<I>Remember God's Words</I>," because this year, 2008, is a oral Hebrew calendar “postponement year.”  I would like to encourage you to read the "<I>Special Calendar Edition</I>" pages 61- 64 beginning with the "Preface," then "Why is Pesach (Passover) so late this year." The same scenario  is happening this year 2008!  Those who are responsible for the oral Hebrew calendar postponements know they are passing along wrong dates for Pesach (Passover).  This year, 2008, Passover will be <U>postponed by one month</U>, not just a day or two! What does Hosea, who's name means "The LORD Saves" have to say about those who believe in postponing?  "Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye <U>house of Israel</U>; and give ye ear .... . The princes of Judah were like them that <U>remove</U> the bound:[boundaries for God's Holy Days] therefore I will pour out My wrath upon them like water... . And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them. They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: [the tradition of men] <B>now shall a month devour them</B> with their portions [inheritance]” (Hosea 5:1, 10, 5-7).</div> <div>      Isaiah, had an inspired vision in the same century as Hosea, who said: "now shall a month devour them,” wrote: "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning <U>Judah and Jerusalem... </U>.  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 hateth: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil"(Isa 1:1,13-16).</div> <div>       "Cease to do evil" reminds me of a prayer I read of a few years ago from a Pastor that was asked to </div> <div> open the new Kansas state Senate session.  Every one was expecting the usual generalities, but instead they heard an example of someone standing up for what is <B>truth</B>!  The prayer went like this: <I>"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe on those who call evil good, "but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that: We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multi-cultural-ism. We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today. Cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will. I ask it in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen." </I> With the Lord's help, may this prayer request sweep over our nation and the Churches of God, so that we again can be called “one nation under God!” </div> <div>      What does God clearly state about those individuals that promote breaking His laws - especially the 9th Commandment?  "YOU are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).  In the book of Revelation John was told, "What you see, write in a book and send it unto the seven churches" (Rev1:11).  His letter said, "..all liars have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death [Or final judgment!]" (Rev. 21:8).  I pray that will not be the FATE for those who are promoting, practicing and teaching THE BIG LIE!  The big lie in God's Church today is: IT IS OK TO POSTPONE, CHANGE, AND PROFANE GOD'S ANNUAL HOLY SABBATHS!  When you attend a Church that says it's alright to postpone God's annual Holy Days, then that means you agree with the lie that is being taught and practiced over-ruling God and His Word.  "If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked" (Prov. 29:12).  BECAUSE: "Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. Add you not unto His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar" (Prov. 30:5-6).  It is alarming to see so many of God's called people sitting in god's Churches that are simmering in the teaching of lies promoted from the (Pharisaical) oral Hebrew Jewish Calendar!  Notice what is written in the book of Mark, "Then came together unto Him [Christ] the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, ,Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, ....' He answered and said unto them, `Well hath Esaias [Isaiah] prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, [in Isaiah 1:13-16]. This people honoureth 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,, And He said unto them, `Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition'" (Mark 7:1,5-9). </div> <div>       Christ went on to say in John's book, "For had you believed Moses, you would have believed Me: for </div> <div> he wrote of Me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe My words?" (John 5:46-47).  We find an example of what Christ is referring to when reading Genesis 1:3-5, "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. <B>And the evening and the morning </B><B><U>were the first day</U></B><B>.</B>"  The Hebrew Calendar followers don't believe our Creator's words that this was and is the <B>first</B> day of the week, month or year! So they start their week, month and year on God's <B>fourth </B>creation day!  The New Scofield Reference Bible Commentary gives a clear understanding of God's first day of creation.<I> "Neither here nor in vv.14-18 is an original creation act implied. A different word is used. The sense is, “made to appear, made visible.”  The sun and moon were created "in the beginning" the light came from the sun, of course, but the vapor diffused the light. Later the sun appeared in an unclouded sky." </I> The Apostle Paul states "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses" (Heb. 10:26,28). Are you allowing the big lie to guide and direct your life? </div> <div>      I recently received an e-mail asking a question about the coming Holy Days. "<I>It has been my understanding for many years that the Jews ALWAYS use the New moon nearest the Vernal Equinox for the first day of Abib. Is that true? Where did the Church under Mr. HWA get that notion? The reason I ask is, I thought it was true and would offer a measure of constancy to the Jewish calendar, but I accidentally noticed it does not appear to be true. I was calculating the first day of the year for the next 10 years when I noticed this (check my math).</I></div> <div> <I>      Next year, the VE occurs on March 20th @ 3:49 AM, the New Moon occurs on March 7th @ 3:15 PM </I></div> <div> <I>which is 12 days, 12 hours and 34 mins. before the VE. The NM of April occurs on April 6th @ 1:56 AM, which is 16 days, 22 hours and 7 mins. after the VE.</I></div> <div> <I>     The Jews are using the April Moon to begin Abib when clearly, the March Moon on March 7th is nearest the VE. I didn't expect that since I had the notion the Jewish Calendar ALWAYS used the New Moon nearest the Vernal Equinox.</I>"</div> <div>       In reply to this e-mail, we wrote: "<I>You are correct! Most years the Jews follow the new moon nearest </I></div> <div> <I>the Spring Equinox. But, every few years they keep the Passover one month late. The new moon of March 2008 is when God's New Year begins!! The Church of God, In Truth will be keeping Passover on March 20th in 2008.</I></div> <div> <I>     2008 is a postponement year for the Jewish Hebrew Calendar. They and the Churches of God who follow the Hebrew Calendar will keep the Passover one month late!</I></div> <div> <I>     In the "Special" Calendar edition we sent out- on page 61, even the Jews know that they are postponing the Passover by one month! We first printed this article in 1997 and again in 2005. We know most people do not want to follow God's truth about the postponements by the Jews, so we just keep reminding them that they are wrong!</I></div> <div> <I>      It is our belief that those who postpone God's Holy Days will be the ones spoken of in Rev.12:17, </I></div> <div> <I>"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with </I><I><U>the remnant </U></I><I>of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."</I></div> <div> <I>     Those who keep the true Passover will be those of Rev. 12:11, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Keeping the Passover at the right appointed time is very important in God's plan of salvation!</I>"</div> <div>      The Bible teaches that God personally draws mankind to His Word of Truth (John 6:44).  Men become liars and untruthful through their own deliberate choice.  The Apostle Paul when speaking to the Thessalonians said, "But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and <U>belief of the truth</U>: Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions [God's traditions] which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work" (2 Thess 2:13-17).</div> <div>                                                                             </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Church of God, In Truth </div> <div> P.O. Box 1120 </div> <div> Kimberling City, MO 65686-1120</div> <div> Tel: 417-338-0033</div> <div> Fax: 417-338-0031</div> <bR> <div> Contact:   James Russell, Elder                                    Or                    Pete Fleming, Elder</div> <div> Tel: 417-338-0033                                                                                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: pmf06@gvtc.com</div> <bR> <div>              Spanish:                                                            Or                            Philippines:</div> <div> Contact: Martin Martinez, Deacon                                                        Contact: Sotero Sonza, Deacon</div> <div> Tel: 787-786-5856                                                                                  Tel: 0639168814846   </div> <div> E-mail: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="mailto:marty@ucint.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:marty@ucint.com"><U>martin2k@onelinkpr.net</U></A></FONT>                                                               E-mail: soterosonza@yahoo.com.ph</div> <bR> <div> Our Sabbath Telephone Conference number is <B>toll free:</B> 1-888-206-2266.  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> <div> <B>2008 SPRING HOLY DAY SCHEDULE</B></div> <div> ABIB 1     1<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >ST</FONT> DAY OF GOD'S NEW YEAR                   MARCH 7, 2008</div> <div>                               </div> <div> PASSOVER                                                                      MARCH 20, 2008</div> <bR> <div> 1<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >ST</FONT> DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD                             MARCH 21, 2008</div> <bR> <div> LAST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD                         MARCH 27, 2008</div> <bR> <div> PENTECOST                                                                   MAY 11, 2008</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>                         <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >PLEASE JOIN US FOR SABBATH AND HOLY DAY SERVICES</FONT>.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.postponements.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.postponements.com"><U>http://www.postponements.com</U></A></div> <bR> <div>                                         </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>