March/April 2011

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TITLE="January/February 2002">January/February 2002</A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=380 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B>Elders Letter</B></I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> James Russell, Elder</div> <div> Dear Scattered Brethren and Co-workers,</div> <div> Some say, "Yes, I have a stack of evidence about the postponements sitting on my desk, but I have been so busy, I've just not had time to find out what Christ has to say about postponing His annual Holy Days, so I will just keep teaching and practicing Christian-Judaism! If the Pharisees taught it, then I will do it," Christ answers a statement like this, "Well has Esaias (Isaiah) prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, 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, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do. And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition" (Mark 7:6-9).</div> <div> Brethren, finding where God's truth is being taught is a challenge, but when you find it, it is like a pearl of great price. This priceless pearl represents those who have earnestly desired truth. Christ told His disciples, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (Matt. 13:45-46), because of its transcendent value! In harmony with this "Pearl of great price" is Jesus Christ. With the pearl, it was its size, shape and luster that made it of value. With Jesus Christ it is His perfection of character and His out flowing love, sacrificing His life for all of mankind.</div> <div> As the covenant sacrifice that memorialized the death of Christ and as the Days of Unleavened Bread approaches, we need to understand yearly the importance of coming under the umbrella of Christ shed blood that was sacrificed, at its appointed time! If you miss taking Passover by one or two days or by one month, you are not drinking and eating from the Lord's table. "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than He? I speak as to wise men; judge you what I say" (I Cor. 10:21-22,15). "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).</div> <div> Had the Israelites in Egypt not followed the Lords instructions given to Moses, and not put blood from the sacrificial lamb on the door posts of their homes, at the appointed time they would have come out of Egypt without their first born!</div> <div> If one misses taking Passover at its appointed time, it will cause one to miss the first and last days of Unleavened Bread that is a sign of God's people! "And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. This day came you out in the month Abib. And it shall be a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in your mouth: for with a strong hand has the LORD brought you out of Egypt. Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season (appointed time) from year to year" (Exo. 13:3-4,9-10).</div> <div> As first-fruits, first to be spiritually born, we need to obey the Lord's voice as He speaks through Jeremiah the prophet! "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people: and walk you in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward" (Jer.7:23-24). The Hebrew calendar (Judaism) is still doing that today, by counting 177 days backwards from Feast of Trumpets to find the first day of their Hebrew year. Now is not the time to be counting backward to find when Passover begins.</div> <div> Jesus Christ became our Passover lamb on the 14th day of the first month Abib. Christ instituted the symbols of the Passover on the night before He was betrayed and crucified! The blood and eating of Jesus Christ is the seal of the New Covenant!! "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him has God the Father SEALED. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:27,53-54).</div> <div> God has always used His sign to identify His people and only now does spiritual Israel truly have this sign. We need to recognize how God knew the firstborn of Israel in Egypt, who was protected and who was not. How will God know which ones will be protected in this end time? By the blood!! The sign of the Passover.</div> <div> It has become clear, that the remnant we read of in Revelation 12:17 are those who take the Passover on a day that has been postponed! They do not come to under the protection of the blood of Jesus Christ! They are going to experience going through the tribulation to make their robes white ( Rev 7:). They will have to learn to obey God first, like they are told through Isaiah, who was inspired to write "When you come to appear before Me,.....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 hates: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them ( Isa 1:12-14). Words that identify the Hebrew calendar. </div> <div> Brethren, be brave step out of the crowd that is waiting for the elevator door to open that leads to God's Kingdom (eventually). Why not, go around the corner to the stairs, where there is no crowd (few be that find it) and take one step at a time. Just make sure the steps have truth written on them!</div> <div> Passover this year is on April 16<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >th,</FONT> 2011 evening before, according to God's time clock in the sky.</div> <bR> <div> James Russell, Elder                                Church of-God, In Truth                       Pete Fleming, Elder</div> <div> Tel: 417-338-0033                                          P.O. Box: 1120                               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>                        Kimberling City: MO  65686                   E-Mail: pmf06@gvic.com</div> <div>                                                                        Tel: 417-338-0033</div> <div>                                                                        Fax: 417-338-0031</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></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1409f8a0.png" border=0 width="159" height="138" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>              Spanish                                                                            Philippines                   </div> <div>  Martin Martinez, Deacon                                                         Romeo Samudio</div> <div>        Tel: 787-786-5856                                                             Tel: 096-8536-4415 </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: romesamudio@yahoo.com               </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>