 |
 |
|
Hi,
We are already in the process of looking for a new place for the observance of God's Feast for the place we had this year was clearly outgrown. The meeting room was filled. Very possibly it will probably be yet in Tucson once again due to the very late time in October of its observance. The weather was perfect this year and will probably be again next year. It could be very difficult in other states though we are not ruling out that possibility. I encourage all of you to be praying about it for we want to be where God leads us to see where He will be placing His name. Letter to Journal --- I am pasting the 'OPEN LETTER' that appeared in the Journal just before the Feast. Possibly next week I will place the one that is due in this coming issue. This one will be mailed to all pf the previous subscribers as well as the current ones. Please pray asking God to use those 'LETTERS' to be helpful in leading them out from the corporate Churches who show by their beliefs and teachings they are NOT God's Churches, as well as those who are, but also make known by their fruits they have a Laodicean Spirit and attitude that will lead them into the Great Tribulation UNLESS there is repentance. They are clearly sleeping as can be seen from Matthew 25 and Revelation 3 – Scriptures that describe the Laodicean condition. We need to be praying very earnestly for each and every true member that they will WAKE UP before it is too late. Until next time, your friend and brother in Christ, Don Billingsley
Sept. 30, 2004
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord,
By now the fall Holy Days will have become past history for the year 2004. However, the meaning that is picturedby them is virtually on the point of being fulfilled. With this in mind, I seriously wonder how many of God’s people really grasp this wonderful truth.
These fall Holy Days portray the time Jesus Christ returns to this earth to establish His Kingdom and rulership on this earth—a new and right beginning for mankind. At the same time we should also realize that we do not leapfrog from the present time to there. There are terrible things to first take place beginning with the prophesied famine and accompanied by the disease epidemics.
From what we now see taking place in the weather and in the area of contagious diseases, it does not take much of an imagination to know we are almost there.
This great country and other nations of Israel
will be so weakened by these curses from God they will become an easy prey
for the revitalized Roman Empire to both conquer and take away the people to
die horrible deaths. The survivors will be made slaves to nations around the
earth. There are many
How many will survive this coming terrible time? After considering the numbers that God’s prophet Ezekiel makes known to us (Ezekiel 5:12), there is yet another number to be found in Scripture that is much lower than the one he gives.
Speaking of the time that spiritual blindness is to be removed from Israel, the prophet asks: “‘LORD, how long?’ And He answered: ‘Until the cities are laid waste and are without inhabitant, the houses are without a man, the land is utterly desolate, the LORD has REMOVED men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. BUT yet A TENTH will be in it, and WILL RETURN . . .’ ” (Isaiah 6:11-13; 1:9; Amos 5:3).
God is here making known through His prophet
that this will be the ultimate
Can you visualize this soon-coming time while looking at the crowded highways, cities, and now even the countryside, and know that very soon this will all be changed? Can you picture in your minds the emptiness of the land and the wrecked and flattened cities? The utter desolation and decimation of the once most powerful nations on earth will leave all of us in great sorrow!
Since God is no respecter of persons, we would do well to remember the worldwide flood that drowned perhaps as many as two billion people! It was a time like it is today! A veritable population explosion and one that was very evil! God was so grieved with their wickedness He caused the flood to come and destroyed all but eight people (Genesis 6:1-1:22; 7:1-24).
To lead us into these very grave problems there could very well be an economic crash that will not only affect the dollar and the pound, but all the currencies of all nations!
Not long ago we played a taped sermon given by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong in which he said the very end time could be upon us within one to five years or possibly six years (7/7/84). He based this on the very likely possibility of our economy crashing of our economy which was in real trouble at that time.
Now you and I have heard him speak before about his thoughts as to how much time we might have left. However, due to the passage of time we came to realize those figures did not fully fit with the timing of the prophecies we have since witnessed come to pass, such as the scattering of God’s Church.
But, what he said in this taped sermon in 1984, seems to fit more fully now than it did at that time when a very major bank failed here in this country. The gravity of the problem then enabled him to see how it could lead into the problem we are now seeing unfold before our very eyes.
In this sermon, Mr. Armstrong spoke of the banking business and the economic crash he could foresee as possibly taking place that would impact the whole world. He further stated this could very well bring about the revitalized Roman Empire in Europe. After saying this, and to provide a better understanding of how the demise of Israel as nations will take place, he asked that we go back and reread the last chapter of the book he had written: The United States and Britain in Prophecy.
It did not happen within that time frame, for there were the end-time prophecies that had to first occur. And, even though our economy looked bad at the time, God, who reigns supreme and rules over all nations from heaven above, caused circumstances to take place that made it possible for the economy to remain strong enough to survive. And He will continue to do so to fit His timetable, whatever time that may be.
A recent news article revealed the very serious problems we are witnessing with the economy and then made the prediction that the crash will take place in 2005, with a question mark.
It is possible the author may be right in his analysis and prediction based on what we now hear and see taking place with the economy. But, once again, it has to fit within God’s timetable.
To read about this, please copy the following website URL, exactly as you see it listed here, and paste it into the browser on your computer. This news article should then be visible to you. After reading it, and seriously thinking about all the facts that are contained in this article, as well as others that are available to us, we should see the real possibility of the economy crashing this next year, perhaps before, or shortly thereafter! But know—it is soon to come!
It takes no great mind to see more clearly than ever that the very end-time prophecies that were made so very plain to us over the years by God’s late apostle are now very close to being fulfilled! (To read more in detail of what I have written on the state of the economy and its very probable crash, please read my Pastor’s Comments posted on our website, dated, January 30, 2004, http://www.cog-ff.com/pcomments/pcomments- 1-30-04.html, as well as a more recent Pastor’s Comments, dated, 8-16-04 http://www.cog-ff.com/pcomments.html.)
If Mr. Armstrong were alive today, he would be shouting all the louder, if that were possible, making known the urgency to all of us to see what is taking place here and on the world scene. He would be strongly urging us to be doing all we can possibly do to make ourselves ready for the coming of Jesus Christ!
We should know, as he continued to tell us, to be accepted by God it is vitally necessary that we have a right and close relationship with Him, for this is our only means and hope of escaping the horrors that are soon to take place. In addition, we need to be in the right corporate Church with true leadership from God to shepherd us.
God’s curse on this nation, the United Kingdom, and the other nations of Israel, are not only virtually on top of us, but we are already seeing the forerunners of real trouble coming down hard on us.
Not only is Anti-Semitism building very rapidly in Europe against Judah and elsewhere, but it is also being demonstrated against the United States by Europe, and we are hated by most of the Arab countries. The third-world countries have no real love for us as well.
If it were not for all of the money we pour
into those countries and trying to help them militarily and otherwise, they
would have nothing to do with us at all. The time is soon coming when we
will no longer be able to give all that money to them or support them
militarily. Then the prophesied blockade by
Normal times have ceased to exist.
Consider all of the many problems we have seen over the past few years, with the weather, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, drought, and hurricanes. And all of these things are intensifying!
Many members are sleeping, just as the whole nation was on September 11, 2001! Even though warnings were passed on, for various reasons they were not taken seriously and no real safeguards were put in place! Almost 3,000 people died as the result! Scripture makes known we as members had better wake up—or else!
Think about the economy! It would appear that the housing market is the only real area that is supplying the economic growth! What will take place after it dries up?
Think about the drought that is being experienced and gradually tightening its grip here, and in other nations of Israel, the lack of morals, crime, etc.
Think about the nations who supply 60 percent of the oil that we require, and is refined into gasoline to feed our thirsty nation. What would happen if one or more cut off their supply to us, or they drive the price of the oil that we must import so high that many people simply can no longer afford to buy the fuel?
There are other terrible potential problems! I heard a prediction on a radio broadcast, very recently, of a suitcase atom-bomb possibly being detonated in some larger city, at almost any time by terrorists.
If this should happen—what will then take place in this country? People will experience mortal, gut-wrenching, terrible fear! Martial law will very probably be put in place to keep the predators at bay!
There is a real need of physical and spiritual preparation! God expects us to do as much as we can in a right and positive way, but the primary one to fulfill is—the need of a real and close relationship with our God along with involvement with God’s true people.
To make sure you are in the right corporate Church with true faithful and caring shepherds, I most urgently encourage all of you to read and reread the last book (Mystery of the Ages), God led His late apostle to write. This will make possible for you to see if you are in the right place.
It can very well make the difference between life and death when these horrors come down upon all of us.
Will you and I be counted worthy to escape these coming horrors? Even more importantly, will we be counted worthy TO STAND BEFORE CHRIST IN ALL OF HIS MAJESTIC GLORY?
God holds each of us individually responsible for our own salvation.
Please do NOT turn your ear away from the prophetic teachings of Jesus Christ! Be warned, be vigilant, and in a constant state of preparedness.
Though we are very small in comparison to other groups, it is the combined effort of the Church of God, faithful flock, to do all we can in trying to reach out a helping hand to all who might wish to take it.
It is our desire and effort to do our part in helping you as much as God enables us to do while we yet have day! Soon the night will come, just as Jesus said, and then we will all fall or stand!
It is our fervent hope and prayer that all of us will be counted worthy by Jesus Christ, in all the very important areas, when those times come down hard on all of us.
Our love and prayers from here to all of you, wherever you may be,
DonBillingsley |