January/February 2010

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Letter</B></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> James Russell, Elder</div> <bR> <div> Dear Scattered Brethren and Co-Workers,</div> <div>      It’s that time of the year again when we all drudge in unison to pay our 2009 yearly secular taxes.   It is also  time for God’s Churches to send out to its supporters-receipts for their tithes and offering-thanking them for their loyalty to God’s financial gift.       </div> <div>      We need to ask our self, am I in this same drudging frame of mind tax payers are when giving back to God an offering or a tenth of  earned money, He has blessed us with?  There are many called who are blinded and can not see the blessings received through obeying Jesus Christ and His Word!  </div> <div>      There is a chapter in God’s word that deals with vision and <B>faith.   </B>It brings the future within the present and makes the invisible seen.  Who is its author?   “Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;......”(Heb 12:2).  This author inspired Apostle Paul to write in 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8,  “He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.  Every man according as he purposed in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”  This faithful promise  is also mentioned by another of God’s messengers who said - “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, [God’s house] 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 3:10)  DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?</div> <div>      Notice with me, an example left us in Mark, of a widow who lived a life of faith.  The Lord and His disciples were standing to one side in the Temple watching a line of contributors walk through the main lobby.  One by one, the people dropped their offerings into contribution chest- put there for collection.   Jesus said to his disciples, as they watched a widow dropped in her two small coins– the smallest denominations available in that day.   “........ Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow has cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:  For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living”(Mark 12:43-44).</div> <div>      We have all heard that story a number of times. It’s an inspiring and positive lesson on giving.  But there is a negative lesson here, too.  If ever a person had a good reason not to give, that woman did.  1). She didn’t have much; 2). Her gift would not make much of a difference–the counters cared little whether the offering that day was $500.20 cents  or  $500.04 cents).  But the greatest reason she had for not giving was the temple was under the control of a bunch of crooks–Jesus called them a “den of thieves” (Mark 11:17).  Surely God would not want us to fund such a group, would He?</div> <div>      Have you ever heard anyone say things like this?  “I don’t like what they’re doing with my tithe and offerings in the church,  so I’m withholding my tithes and offerings:” “I don’t like the preacher, so I’m sending “my” tithes and offering somewhere else;” or “I’ll start giving my money again as soon as they make some changes.”</div> <div>      How easily we decide to punish the Church of God–the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ, the Household of God–for something we don’t like or someone we disagree with.  How lightly we take our obligation in supporting the Church called the Church of God.  How quickly we back away from our God’s assigned duties-when we find some excuse to stop trusting in God’s instruction book for life.</div> <div>      It’s worth noting that Jesus was pleased with this woman who brought her offering, even if the Temple was being strangled by the shenanigans of the Sanhedrin.</div> <div>      This is probably the time to point out, “the reason not to give” makes sense only from a humanistic point of view, never from God’s.  In fact, we can not find in scripture where the Lord ever told anyone something like, Hey, look–you’re having a hard time.  Skip giving your tithes and offering this time around, quite the opposite is true.</div> <div>       We find another story in 1 Kings, where, Elijah told a starving widow and her son to take the small amount of flour and oil she had  and “Make a little bread cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son” (1 Kings 17:13).  When she did as she was commanded, we read that the flour and oil never ran out for the duration of the drought.  By giving the little she had, she blessed her family in the long run.</div> <div>      Notice where Paul commended the poorest Church group on the planet for their generosity.  Referring to the church at Macedonia, he tells the believers in Corinth, “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you to witness of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;  How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;  Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.  And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God” (2 Cor 8:1-5).</div> <div>      You get the impression the Lord is not particularly impressed either by our wealth or our poverty.  In both cases, He expects His children to be faithful givers.  The amount and sometimes the nature, of our gifts will vary.  When Mary and Joseph dedicated their Holy Firstborn to God, they were so poor their offering was only a couple of birds.  Moses specified in the Old Testament that if parents were so poor as not to afford the lamb, a pigeon or dove would be acceptable.   “And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.  And if she be <B>not</B> able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles doves, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean” (Leviticus 12:6-8).</div> <div>      It’s clear some poor aren’t able to give in as much quantity as the wealthy, but they are still expected to be faithful in their called duty. </div> <div>       Are any of you who receive the “Prove All Things” unemployed?  Are things tough right now?  Are you having trouble making ends meet?  Are you robbing God of tithes and offerings?  “ANSWER” Don’t forget  what  Jesus Christ said “Lay<U> not</U> up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”(Matt 6:19-21).  That is being a doer of God’s word!  But the choice is yours.                                                                                                                                                             </div> <div> Examine yourself with an X under:</div> <bR> <div> Commitment:               Compromise:               Think about it:               Ignore it:     </div> <div>                                                                         </div> <bR> <div>                          Church of God, In Truth</div> <div>                                 P.O. Box: 1120</div> <div>                               Kimberline City. MO 65686</div> <bR> <div>                          Tel: 417-338-0033</div> <div>                          Fax: 417-338-0031</div> <div>                          E-Mail: cogit@flash.net</div> <bR> <div> James Russell, Elder                                                       Pete Fleming, Elder</div> <div> Tel: 417-338-0033                                                           Tel: 830-885-5502</div> <div> E-Mail: <A HREF="mailto:cogit@flash.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:cogit@flash.net">cogit@flash.net</A>                                                  E-Mail: pmf06@gvic.com</div> <bR> <div> Spanish                                            Philippines                                        </div> <div> Martin Martinez, Deacon                Sotero Sonza, Deacon                       </div> <div> Tel: 787-786-5856                           Tel: 0639-1688-14846                      </div> <div> E-Mail: <A HREF="mailto:marty@ucint.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:marty@ucint.com">mar</A>tin2k@onelinkpr.com    E-Mail: <A HREF="mailto:sotersonza@yahoo.com.ph" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:sotersonza@yahoo.com.ph">soterosonza@yahoo.com.ph</A>   </div> <bR> <div> Our Sabbath <B>Telephone Conference </B>number is <B>toll free</B> 1-888-206-2266.  An automated speaker will ask for your access code.  Call or e-mail for new code number.  <B>Internet Conference </B>is found at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="http://www.postponement.com." TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.postponement.com."><U>www.postponement.com.</U></A></FONT>    Sabbath hook up time is 11:30 AM Pacific time zone.</div> <bR> <bR> <div>  </div> </td> </tr></table></body>