April 9, 2010

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38; Luke 10:2).

Dear Brethren,

Our Father and Jesus Christ has graced this little flock to be used as His instrument to keep active the Recorded Works of His late apostle, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, on the websites He has so graciously blessed us with to provide food for His people and serve as a witness to all others.

Christ refers to this little flock that He continues to use with His end-time warning: “Look among the nations and watch— be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would NOT believe, though it were told you” (Habakkuk 1:5, 6).

This Work is going forth as a last ditch effort to try and help His people and Israel shortly before the revived Holy Roman Empire materializes in Europe who are destined to be used by Satan to conquer the nations of Israel and kill the members of God’s Church in the Great Tribulation who will not be counted worthy to escape this terrible coming time on Israel, and then on the world in Armageddon, that will have no equal (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1).

This is an awesome blessing as well as a grave responsibility that each of has been given by Christ! To realize He has chosen us above all of the other corporate Churches should be very humbling indeed!

With this in mind we must keep our shoulder to the wheel and continue going through the open door that He set before Mr. Armstrong during his life— and now in the closing part of this age He is using this little flock as His instrument to keep the Restored Works of Mr. Armstrong active on the websites He gave us before the Church, Israel and the world.

Christ’s commission to the Philadelphia Era of His Church is still the same as it was during the lifetime ministry of His late apostle, and Elijah to come.

God’s Commission to the Seven Churches

“And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world AS A WITNESS, to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

In this generation Mr. Armstrong was used by Jesus Christ to begin a new Church Era; one which He would use to complete His Work of taking forth the Gospel while sounding the Ezekiel Warning to His Church and to Israel:

And to the angel of the Church of Philadelphia (brotherly love) write, “These things says He who is holy, He who is true . . . ‘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).

Works are Essential for True Christians

When we read the letters to the seven Churches we find in each letter Jesus Christ stressed the need of works by the members of each Church Era in their particular period of time. The involvement in the Work, or lack of it, is very pointedly stressed in the first part of each letter: Revelation 2:2, 5; 2:9; 2:13; 2:19, 29; 3:1-2; 3:8; 3:15.

We are now in the closing part of this age and only three eras still exist of those seven Churches: Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

Speaking of the three Church Eras who are yet remaining, Jesus Christ says the Sardis Era is for all practical purposes dead (Revelation 3:1-6). And though the spirit of the Laodicean Church is apparent with thousands of members, it has not yet become an entity!

Jesus Christ identifies the membership by saying it is a self-righteous Church; and because of it they have no real relationship with Him.

This leaves only the Philadelphia Era that is yet active, while clinging to the truths as restored within His Church by Mr. Armstrong, going through the open door Jesus Christ re-opened during the Passover season in 2006 to enable His Gospel and the Ezekiel warning message to reach forth in a greater way through modern technology and satellites than during the life-time ministry of Mr. Armstrong from 1934 to 1986.

And the marvel of it is, Christ is using the same man, though dead, through his Recorded Works of earlier years to finish this part of the Work before the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

The remainder of the Work will be completed by the Two Witnesses during the three and one/half years of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 11:3-13). This will lead up to the return of Jesus Christ back to this earth.

When we seriously consider the awesome calling we have to be God’s true people, and then the added responsibility of being used by Jesus Christ to try and help our brethren and Israel, it is truly an act of brotherly love on the part of each of us.

The Importance of Upholding God’s Work!

Sadly, it is my perception that most members do not grasp the importance of the Work that Christ has given each of us to do in this end-time. Unless all of us come to see the vital importance of it to us and to the membership at large, and become really involved with our hearts, we could very well have their BLOOD on our heads (Ezekiel 33:1-5).

This is that serious!

However there are the few who do and are doing all they can with prayers being lifted up to our Father through Christ along with giving generous tithes and offerings as they are able.

At the same time it is realized by Christ that some are on very limited incomes, such as: retirement, and Social Security. These members are not required to tithe, and though they give offerings as they can, they should realize that Christ does not expect what they cannot do.

However their prayers are very important with occasional fasting, as their physical health will permit. And those who cannot give more should not feel badly for God looks on their hearts (I Samuel 16:7).

Members will be Rewarded According to Their Works

When Jesus Christ returns we will be saved by His grace (Ephesians 2:8), but rewarded according to our works: “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).

Whatever reward each member will receive in each of the seven Church Eras, during their individual time, will be for doing whatever each one was able to do. The same will be true with each of us— and the reward will be both awesome and wonderful indeed!

However Scripture also speak of those who will have no reward at all for they will possibly bring disaster on themselves for doing nothing, or next to nothing, when they could have!

It should be realized that Jesus Christ is very observant of what each member does or does not do for He knows our thoughts and our actions (Psalm 139:1-12), as well as knowing every hair on our heads (Luke 12:7).

Jesus Christ speaks of this to the Seven Church Eras:

“. . . And ALL the Churches shall know that I am He who SEARCHES (margin: examines) the minds and the hearts. And I will give to each one of you ACCORDING TO YOUR WORKS” (Revelation 2:23; Jeremiah 11:20; 17:10).

This can be seen by what Jesus said in His parable of the minas (A unit of money symbolizing Spiritual value; each mina corresponds to the beginning unit of God’s Holy Spirit we receive after baptism):

Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called 10 of his servants (these servants represent Christians, I Corinthians 7:22) delivered to them 10 minas (Spiritual stock – the Holy Spirit), and said to them, “Do business until I return.” . . . And so it was when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading (to work with, John 15:2). “Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned 10 minas (during his Christian life, Matthew 13:23). “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over 10 cities.’ “And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned 5 minas.’ “Likewise he said to him, ‘you also be over 5 cities.’ “And another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere (margin: severe) man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ “And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you wicked servant (judgment day).’” (Luke 19:11-27).

Each servant’s reward will be proportional to his growth, spiritual overcoming, and character development (verses 16-19).

God did not call us to do nothing toward Spiritual growth. Mr. Armstrong has stated: “To the degree of our involvement in God’s Work is a barometer of the depth of our conversion.”

The True and Lasting Treasures

Jesus Christ speaks to us of the true riches that will be everlasting and never tarnish nor ever fade away:

“Do not lay up (hoard) for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:34)

It is realized by Jesus Christ that we are to work and provide for our families. This is saying we are not to make elaborate plans -- keep life simple. However God is not advocating that we make no plans for the future. He knows we have needs (verses 31-32). He gives us examples of the ant (Proverbs 6:6-8; 13:22) and states that a man who does not provide for his home (family) is derelict in his God-given responsibilities (I Timothy 5:8).

While giving one should keep in mind the following Scriptures:

Always these two Scriptures should come to mind: [1] “. . . God loves a generous giver” (II Corinthians 9:7). [2] Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you” (Deuteronomy 16:17).

For those who find it hard to give when they are able to do so do not realize the blessings that are promised by Jesus Christ when they do turn loose and give from what they have without hurting themselves:

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom (Malachi 3:10). For with the same measure that you use, it will be given back to you”(Luke 6:38; Galatians 3:7; Romans 2:6; II Corinthians 9:6-9).

Offerings are Spiritual sacrifices (Hebrews 13:16).

The End-Time is at Hand

As to how much time there is before Christ closes the door to His Gospel going forth to His Church, Israel, and the world, can be understood by what we read and see from the News Media in view of end-time prophecy.

With this realization in mind it can be seen there appears to be very little time left.

And because of the caring brotherly love we should have for the members of all three end-time Church Eras, and for the people of Israel, and the world, we should be doing all we can go keep this Work alive and healthy while the door is yet open:

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time TO AWAKE OUT OF SLEEP, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the WORKS of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:11-12).

With this in mind, we need to think of the little time remaining as an opportunity to do all we can to help our brothers and sisters, rather than thinking there is no urgency, for it is easy to think we have some time left before the door closes and then express no urgency at all!

Jesus Christ further said:

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together (John 4:35-36).

The Urgent Need for Laborers

Brethren, I write these comments to urge each of you to pray for more laborers as Jesus Christ said we should be doing along with the needed finances to keep going through the door Christ has placed in front of us. The day is not far off when He will close the door to the Gospel, and the Ezekiel warning message, as He says to the Philadelphia Era of His Church:

“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”(Revelation 3:7).

The door to the hearts and minds of the members of the Laodiceans and the Sardis Eras will also then be closed that would have enabled them to escape the Great Tribulation.

They will not have heeded Christ’s knock seeking an invitation to come into their lives and dine spiritually with them (Revelation 3:20).

Upon the closing of the door will then bring about the beginning famine of the word:

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will send FAMINE on the land, NOT a famine of bread, NOR a thirst for water, BUT of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro SEEKING the word of the LORD, but shall NOT find it” (Amos 8:11-12)

This is speaking of the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:7), who will be seeking to fill their lamps with oil, God’s Holy Spirit (Matthew 25:9-10;

They will NOT find it due the ministers and members of the Philadelphia Era will have already left for the place of refuge there to be hidden during the horrors of the Great Tribulation.

Pray for Laborers for the Harvest

Brethren, as Jesus Christ exhorted, we MUST be praying for the laborers and finances to enable us to keep those websites with the Restored Works available and active for God’s people.

In addition, we are doing what we can to support and point to those Recorded Works through the magazine, the Philadelphia Remnant, and my writings that are published on the websites and in the Journal Newspaper that is published in Big Sandy, Texas, and have been for almost four years pointing to the Restored Works of Mr. Armstrong that can easily be found in the MYSTERY OF THE AGES.

We are also trying to do all we can to provide free telephone hookups for Church services and for the weekly Bible study. These and other areas require so much expense that we continually are running short. However Christ keeps us alive through a few of you who send in larger offerings at the needed times, without our asking for them, and they keep us going.

It is well realized that all of our needs will be provided through the riches of Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19). But at the same time, He uses His people to supply those needs. With this in mind we need to ask ourselves, “Are we doing our part in the Work of God and Jesus Christ?” Remember, Jesus Christ knows!

Your brother and fellow-laborer in God’s Harvest,

Don Billingsley

http://bodyofchristonline.us/     http://cog-ff.com     http://www.ezekielwatchman.org/

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