September/October 2008

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Elder</div> <bR> <div> To God's Scattered Brethren and Co-workers,</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Greetings from beautiful Branson West, Missouri. Excitement abounds as plans are being finalized for God's Feast of Tabernacles. This year again we are looking forward to visit with God's scattered called out ones. Evening activities have been planned with fellowship in mind. "Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him" (Mal. 3:16-17).</div> <div> When studying to <B>prove all things,</B> it is apparent that Jeremiah faced the same problems we face in the Church of God, In Truth today. "The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, <B>Amend your ways and your doings</B>, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust you not in lying words, saying, "...The temple of the LORD, are these" (Jer. 7:1-4). The people were assuming that because the temple was in their midst and the majority worshiped there God would never forsake them <B>regardless</B> of their evil ways. Jeremiah continues in verse 8 and 9 to warn the people of their evil ways. "Behold, <U>you trust in lying words, that cannot profit. </U>Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and <U>walk after other gods </U>whom you know not" (Jer. 7:8-9).</div> <div> It is folly to expect the Church of God, where God has been reverenced, to act as a guarantee against punishment, when the people in their hearts have turned away from God's annual appointed Sabbaths! <B>God will not withhold judgment merely to perpetuate an organization</B>!!</div> <div> God used Jeremiah in his time to warn the people of the syncretism they were practicing! They were playing religion just as the Churches of God are playing religious Russian roulette games with <B>God's truth today!</B> The people falsely believe there is safety in numbers. God's says, "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. "What was their answer?" 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. For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, saith the LORD: <B>they have set their abominations [their postponements] in the house called by My name, to pollute it</B>" (Jer. 7:23-24,30). God's houses called by His name [The Church of God,] have and are being polluted with wrong annual Sabbath dates.</div> <div> The ministers and leaders of these Churches are telling their congregations to postpone God's set apart annual Holy Days by a month this year! God's Feast of Tabernacles is to be "AT" the years end, (tekufoth) turn-<B>AT</B> the time of the fall equinox. "And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering <I><B>AT</B></I><I> the year's end</I>" (Exo. 34:22). "And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is <I>in the end </I>[turn] <I>of the year</I>, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field" (Exo.23:16). This is the seasonal change from summer to winter, according to the Bible. (Gen 8:22).</div> <div> History reminds us of the people of Judah who was taken into captivity because they had forgotten their Creator God and His laws, trusting instead, in falsehood. "This is your lot, the portion of your measures from Me, saith the LORD; because thou have forgotten Me, and<B> trusted in falsehood</B>" ( Jer. 13:25). The Churches of God who keep the Hebrew--- Jewish or sacred calendar are trusting in falsehood!! Even the Jews know that the feasts are one month late this year. Why won't the Churches of God <B>heed the warning</B> from their tradition of men source?</div> <div> The Church of God, In Truth has been explaining, warning and sharing with the scattered Churches of God for the past 15 years that they are keeping the Postponed days of Hillel II, who was NEVER GIVEN GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. Our question is, WHY follow Hillel's II lead? WHY ??? <B>"You can have your own opinion, but you cannot have your own about facts!! Fact are facts!" </B>Sen. Pat Moynihan.</div> <div> If the Bible, not man, is your foundation and way of life, ask yourself why you participate in the postponed religious practices, called SYNCRETISM! We are instructed to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the <B>word of truth</B>" (II Tim. 2:15).</div> <div> Each of us needs to "prove all things" out of God's Word, not the Talmud! We cannot afford to take anyone's word when it affects our religious beliefs and our eternal life.</div> <div> God's Word, which is never out of date, is sending His servants out with the wedding invitations again this year! But someone is still distorting the appointed time of this wedding! Who might that be? The answer is found in Matthew 23: verse 13, "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Obeying fictitious appointed times, for God's Feast Days, and making a preparation day more important than God's assigned Holy Days, can cause a called out one to miss the wedding call and keep a person out of the Kingdom of God! How do we know that? "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever" (Ex 31:16-17)</div> <bR> <div> Are the Autumnal Feast Days, SABBATHS ?</div> <bR> <div> <I>Feast of Trumpets;</I></div> <bR> <div> "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a <B>Sabbath, </B>a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation" (Lev 23:23-24).</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>Feast of Atonement;</B></I></div> <bR> <div> "It shall be unto you a <B>Sabbath</B> of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your <B>Sabbath</B>"(Lev 23:32).</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day;</B></I></div> <bR> <div> "Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a <B>Sabbath</B>, and on the eighth day shall be a <B>Sabbath</B>" (Lev 23:39).</div> <bR> <div> What Sabbath will you keep ? <I><B><U>"......as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD"</U></B></I>(Josh 24:15).</div> <bR> <div> The Church of God, In Truth prays as did Jeremiah: Obey God's voice and keep God's commanded Holy Convocations that are written in Leviticus 23. Not using some other source!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Church of God, In Truth</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>