‘A Letter of Heartfelt Thankfulness’
The
Church of God
P.O. Box 8819
Modesto,
California 95357
Dear Brethren,
T
wenty-four
years ago God’s late apostle, and the promised Elijah of the
end-time, died, January 16, 1986.
Mr. Armstrong’s death left God’s Church of the Philadelphia Era without its chief human shepherd; leaving each member of the flock struggling valiantly to stay alive while standing strong against the deceptive forces of Satan the devil – savage wolves in sheep’s clothing seeking to destroy the flock of God.
This is where we have been since 1986. And though Jesus Christ, our chief Apostle and Shepherd, has permitted His people to be subjected to the deceptive trials through those years, He has never left us, nor will He ever, if we remain faithful to Him (Matthew 28:20). He has responded to our cries to Him and delivered us from Satan’s destructive tactics.
Presently, we are in the home stretch, so-to-speak, with the door yet open that Jesus Christ opened to us in 2006. How much longer is not known; but from the ongoing news reports of the state of this country, and the world, strongly indicates the door could be closed at any time. And very possibly it could take place within this New19-Year Time Cycle.
With the closeness of this in mind, as God’s faithful flock of the Philadelphia Era, we must continue to be about our Father’s business making possible the Recorded Works of God’s late apostle to be available on our 14 websites reaching out to the Church, Israel, and the world – reaching it with a WARNING MESSAGE with much broader scope and greater depth than during the life-time ministry of Mr. Armstrong. This was the conclusion Mr. Armstrong came to on January 7, 1972 (A New 19-Year Time Cycle) — the gospel and warning message must reach this world in this manner.
We must also realize, with the closeness of the end-time at hand, Satan will come at us with great anger seeking to destroy the websites in one way or another and each one of us individually and collectively as a Church (Revelation 12:12; I Peter 5:8).
Though this letter is being written to express our sincere appreciation for the contributions each of you has given to this small Church of God during this past year; it is also to make known to you the continued need in this final hour to do all that we can to further this Work of God before Jesus Christ closes the door to His gospel and the Ezekiel warning message going out to the Church of God and Israel just short of the real beginning of the Great Tribulation. A time when no one can work, so said Jesus Christ.
Also, we need to humbly remember this Work has been given to this era of God’s Church by Jesus Christ as an extension of the life-time ministry of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong due to our faithfulness to Him and His true doctrinal teachings as taught to us by His late apostle (Revelation 3:7-13).
It should be soberly realized this is a very responsible task of being an instrument, a conduit, to make possible the RESTORED WORKS of Mr. Armstrong to remain and ongoing on our websites. This Work of God and Jesus Christ is also a last ditch effort to try and wake up the members of the Church before the martyrdom of the saints takes place as well as to WARN Israel of the horrors they will also soon be facing.
The Work is well described by the following Scriptures written to the faithful apostle, then, and now, to the membership of this era of the end-time:
“And to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia, write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who OPENS and no one shuts, AND SHUTS, and no one opens’; I KNOW YOUR WORKS. See I have set before you AN OPEN DOOR, and no one can shut it, for you have a LITTLE STRENGTH, have KEPT My word, and have NOT denied My Name. . . .” (Revelation 3:7-8).
As already made known everyone should be able to see from news events in light of Bible prophecy we are now very close to the fall of this nation and Britain, the House of Joseph. The problems have grown so great in this nation the predictions from respected leaders in their fields feel strongly the economy can fall apart this very year, the very year of another 19-Year Time Cycle. It could be prompted by a real food shortage as some believe.
Reports over the past year or more make know there are no reserves of food in the cupboards in this country or in Britain— each one depending entirely on needed weather conditions and sufficient rainfall to make possible a bountiful harvest!
This is a curse from God these two nations have brought on themselves due to their rejecting Him and His holy and righteous laws. And what will be coming down hard will undoubtedly begin to be experienced this year as never before— and no leader however well-intentioned he or she might be is going to be able to resolve the problems.
The Coming Feast of Tabernacles
It is with these things in mind, we elders are already talking about alternative plans for where the Feast of Tabernacles might be observed this year. We are in such perplexing and troubling times anything can happen over night!
An Awesome Responsibility
Realizing the magnitude and the seriousness of this awesome responsibility we MUST continue to labor in the harvest knowing as Jesus said the fields are very white; and we must be about our Father’s business as long as He sees fit to use us (John 4:34-35; Matthew 9:35-38), for “. . . the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).
In addition to serving as a witness to Israel and the world, our websites are needed to serve as food for several thousand members of the remnant of the Philadelphia Era. Men and women who are yet to come out from wherever they now are and will be brought together with us before God makes known the time has come to flee from what has been prophesied to befall America and Britain. That time is now a lot closer than many realize!
In addition, from the letters received from new people indicates God is still calling a few to be among the elect. Then there are those of the Laodicean Era who desperately need any help Jesus Christ chooses to use us in giving them.
We must not become weary with well doing regarding the Work that has been set before us (Galatians 6:9). Always, we must have and keep the VISION before us along with the LOVE needed for our brothers and sisters to help them in any way that God makes possible.
To have a real feel of this need is to think of ourselves individually being out there with the Great Tribulation closing in on us and no one seeking and searching to help us.
The need is now even greater than ever before due to the shortness of time while facing the fact that we are very small, a little flock, with very limited resources and the harvest is great (Habakkuk 1:5).
To do this wonderful Work requires A UNITED TEAM WORK, arm in arm, always moving ahead following the lead of our Savior Jesus Christ in all of the areas He reveals to us (Revelation 14:4; John 10:27-28).
Regardless of when and how soon the door will close, please know your involvement in this team effort and the fact that you have freely and voluntarily been giving of the tithes and offerings God has blessed you with this past year is sincerely appreciated. What you have done also shows your heart, as the Scripture makes known: “. . . for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
There are rich and wonderful blessings to be given to the faithful who do not tire and quit as some have done for one reason or another before the race of everlasting life is won (Philippians 3:12-16).
Note one such Scripture: “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will REWARD each according to his works” (Matthew 16:27).
Please note the responsibility placed on the lay member as well as the ordained:
The Mystery of the Ages, Page 266, 271, Mr. Armstrong
“The individual lay member HAS HIS VITAL PART in proclaiming the GOOD NEWS (gospel) to the world. How? Not by going out and himself proclaiming Christ’s Message to the neighborhood or to the world. That is done primarily by the apostles, to some extent by evangelists, and to an even lesser extent in local areas by the local pastors. . . . The ‘loner’ --- the ‘individual Christian,’ who wants to climb up into the Kingdom, some other way than by CHRIST and HIS WAY through His Church --- is not being trained in CHRIST’S MANNER of training, to rule and reign with Christ in His Kingdom.”
Those not joined with others of the branches, all joined to the main vine, were NO PART OF THE CHURCH, and God the Father will cast them away as DEAD branches. The LIFE (spirit life impregnated now) is received along with all other “branches” from the main vine – Christ, the Head of the CHURCH! . . .”
Brethren, Satan hates what we are doing and will stop at nothing to destroy this Work for he knows we are being used by Jesus Christ to make the Restored Works of God’s late apostle and the Elijah to come accessible on our websites.
Needs Being Supplied
Your faithfulness makes possible our being able to supply the financial needs for the websites: the publishing costs of The Philadelphia Remnant, my monthly writings that appear in the Journal, the costs of the telephone hookups for the Bible Studies and for both the Sabbath and annual Holy Days services, the needs of widows and brethren from time to time along with office, travel expense, supplies, and salaries.
It is because of your involvement and faithfulness that makes possible the final warning to reach the Church and Israel through the Elijah who is yet the watchman through his recorded works.
If we should fail in this responsibility the blood of all will come down on our heads (Ezekiel 33:1-9). On the other hand think of the rewarding blessings to be ours by being used by Christ to possibly save many from the Great Tribulation.
We should also realize our new Spirit Birth will hinge on our FAITHFULNESS in our relationship with our God and ENDURANCE with it TO THE VERY END along with doing the Work (Matthew 24:13-14).
To have that kind of stable and enduring relationship with our God means a passionate deep and caring LOVE FOR HIS TRUTH along with the desire to please our wonderful caring God and Jesus Christ.
This should be very meaningful to each of us; so much so that we would give our mortal lives for it— if this should come to be our lot in contrast to the many thousands who have fallen away over the years until now due to not having this kind of LOVE for the TRUTH of God and for His people (II Thessalonians 2:10).
Though we all have been saddened to see members leave us that we loved, and still do, we rejoice seeing that Christ has added other members to us.
It is our firm belief and effort that any real work toward the continuation of the gospel and warning message going to the world must be done by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. And that is why we must do all we can to make available his many writings as well as his recorded sermons, radio broadcasts and telecasts, for the use of any and everyone on our various websites. Mr. Armstrong was the chosen one God raised up as the apostle and the Elijah to come in this endtime, and not us, or anyone else.
We are all in this together faithfully continuing toward the goal that God has set before us. The time is now so very close to Christ’s return to this earth; and when He does He will bring our reward with Him and hopefully say to each of us, “Well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 16:27; 25;21).
God’s love is an unconditional giving and sharing love. This is the attitude all of us need to always have for one another and for those we do not yet know but who are brothers and sisters in Christ. There should also be a love for the people of Israel and the world just as Jesus Christ has for them (John 3:16-17).
Please know the continued untiring efforts of all of you along with your heartfelt prayers to our God to supply the need in all these and additional areas are deeply appreciated; and God’s good blessings will continue to be on each of you as well.
Again, I sincerely thank each and every one of you, for your faithfulness, loyalty, generosity, and love for God.
Your brother and fellow-laborer in Christ’s harvest,
http://bodyofchristonline.us/ http://worldnewsbulletin.com http://www.ezekielwatchman.org/
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