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GENERAL QUESTIONS TO THE CHURCH OF GOD , IN TRUTH
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1. WHAT is the Church of God, in Truth's goal and purpose ?
2. HOW many members are in the Church of God, In Truth?
3. DO you have a church near me?
4. DO you have booklets, sermon tapes , a magazine?
5. DO you have a web page on the Internet?
6. DO you give Bible studies?
7. DO you believe God's people should give tithes and offerings?
8. DO you keep the Old Testament Holy Days?
Each one of these questions could be a sermon topic or an article by themself, but to answer briefly let me first
say the Church of God, In Truth is, as we have been accused of, conservative and literalist. We have a clear
understanding that we are to "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good"(1 Thess. 5:21) and we understand,
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction"(Prov. 1:7). "The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His
praise endures for ever" (Ps 111:10). We are to live by every word of God. Christ said, "It is written, Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"(Matt. 4:4).
???? ONE:
What is the Church of God, In Truth's goal and purpose?
The Church of God, In Truth goal is to "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matt. 6:33).
AND teach the truth from God's Word! We are not to follow a man or the traditions of man! We believe our goal
is to build on the foundation of God's Word only!
When the Apostle Paul was instructing Titus to go and ordain elders in every city he gave clear guide lines that
were to be followed. We find those instructions warned Titus not to ordain a man that would teach Jewish fables
[a myth, an untruth]. Paul said "This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in
the faith; not giving heed to Jewish fables [myth, untruths], and [the] commandments of men, that turn from the
truth"(Titus 1:13-14).
Paul when instructing Titus must have read Jeremiah, Chapter 7: "The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord,
saying, stand in the gate of the Lord's house, [spiritual Church of God today] 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, amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
Trust you not in lying words........." (Jer. 7:1-4). " For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, saith the
Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, [the Church's of God ]to pollute
it " (Jer.7:30). Jeremiah continues speaking to Judah in Chapter 8: verse 8 "How do you say, we are wise, and
the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the Scribes is in vain [the word vain
is strong's # 8267, untruthful, deceitful, liars] the wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they
have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?" (Jer 8:8-9). And in the last sentence of verse
10, "From the prophet even unto the priest every one deals falsely." The Church of God, In Truth, does not want
to be accused of that. Our goal is to teach truth and do our best to "prove all things," that does not mean, we know
all things!!! Today we find Jewish fables being taught and practiced in the Churches of God, causing the Fourth
Commandment, the one God said to not forget. The Holy Days are a Sabbath and they are not to be postponed!
God's word to His Church does not say, sanctify [set apart] My people through the gospel. God's word does not
say sanctify my people through their works. God does say, " Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth"
(John 17:17). And in verse 19 " And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through
the truth." God clearly states through Moses, " Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily My
Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that
I am the LORD that doth sanctify you." V:16, "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe
the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. V:17, It is a sign between Me and the children
of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was
refreshed." God's weekly Sabbath and His appointed Holy Days, are His and the Church of God, In Truth‘s day
of rest. We should not buy or sell on God's Sabbaths!
We feel our purpose is to alert God's people at this end time, who are asleep, [as were the ten virgins of Matthew
25] of the "postponements incorporated into the "Calculated Hebrew Calendar." These Jewish fables O.K. them
to work on God's Holy Sabbath (Titus 1:13-14).
???? TWO:
How many members are in the Church of God, In Truth ?
We do not know. We have often thought about this question. Is it those who gives tithes and offerings? Is it those
that attend regularly on the phone hook up or internet with us on God's Sabbath day? Is it those who only attend
on the Holy Day phone hook up with us? Is it those who attend the Feast of Tabernacles with us? To answer these
questions lets look into God's word. "God has not cast a way His people which He foreknew. Know you not what
the scripture says of Elijah? How he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed the
prophets, and digged down Your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of
God unto him? I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed there knee to the image of
Baal [or fables]. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace "
(Rom. 11 :2-5).
Elijah leaves us another example. "And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, art you
he that troubles Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father's house, in that you
have forsaken the Commandments of the Lord, and you hast followed Baalim. [Israel and the house of Judah both
were taken into captivity because of idol worship]. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount
Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat
at Jezebel's table. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount
Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt you between two opinions? If the Lord be
God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word" (1 Kings 18:17-21).
God's word is to be followed without mixing in Jewish fables.
The bottom line to the question, how many members are in the Church of God, In Truth? The answer is, " But
now has God [NOT MAN] set the members everyone of them in the body, as it has pleased Him" (I Cor 12:18).
???? THREE:
Do you have a church near me ?
The answer is yes! How close? Just as close as your phone or internet is to you!! Weekly Sabbath services and
Holy Days services are held through a telephone conference call line and our Internet web page.
???? FOUR & FIVE:
Do you have booklets, sermon tapes or a magazine and are you on the Internet ?
Yes, we have sermon tapes available and a bi-monthly magazine called the "Prove All Things," a booklet called
"Postponements, Another Mystery of The Ages" and a Special Calendar Edition of the "Prove All
Things"magazine, explaining God's natural calendar from His word and our Web page is filled with a variety of
articles on different topics. Internet Web address is: www.postponements.com
Our feeling about this is: We do not want to build on another man's foundation. We receive these instructions
from 1 Cor. 3:9-11, "For we are labourers together with God: you are God's husbandry, you are God's building.
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and
another builds thereon. But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon. For other foundation can no man
lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." In other words "don't add to or take a way " from God's Word. We
do not duplicate booklets on information that is already available from the remnant Churches of God.
???? SIX:
Do we give Bible studies?
Not usually, we have found, ministers take time to put a Bible study together, then most that come and listen take
that Bible study to be their Bible study for the week. God's word tells us to "Let everyman prove his own work,
and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For everyman shall bear his own
burden"(Gal.6:4-5). 1 Thess. 5 :21, tells us as individuals to "Prove All Things; hold fast that which is good."
???? SEVEN
Do you believe God's people should give tithes and offerings?
Yes! According to God's Word we are taught to support God's church with tithes and offering. "Will a man rob
God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. You are
cursed with a curse: for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse,
that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open
you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And
I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your
vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed:
for you shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts"(Mal 3:8-12). In the New Testament we are
admonished by God to give tithes. "For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met
Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part
of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of
peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but
made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this Man was, unto whom
even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils" (Heb 7:1-4).
The Church of God, In Truth, takes up only three commanded Holy Day offerings as prescribed in God's Word!
"Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which He shall choose;
in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles: and they shall not
appear before the LORD empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy
God which He hath given thee" (Deut. 16:16-17).
???? EIGHT
Do you keep the Old Testament Holy Days?
YES, we keep God's Holy Days found in the Old Testament [Lev.23]. We do not keep Judaism's holidays that
incorporate the "postponement rules." We do not believe we are to practice syncretism [mixing religions]. Elijah
understood the meaning of "syncretism." "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, how long halt ye
between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered
him not a word " (1 Kings 18:21). This is what we see many other splinter Churches doing today !!
The Church of God, In Truth, takes its instructions from God's word! Other splinter Churches of God take their
Holy Day practices from the "Jewish Hebrew Calendar" causing them to mix religions! The Pharisees that
practice Judaism were never given God's Holy Spirit. This is why the Church of God, In Truth, will not follow
them and a calendar set by Hillel II who was a Pharisee and practiced Judaism! Let me quote the rules of
"postponements" that most Churches of God follow today. These rules are found in the "Comprehensive Hebrew
Calendar" book, written by Arthur Spier.
These are the four Dehioth [Postponement rules]:
1. "When the molad [rebirth of the astronomical new moon] Tishri [seventh month] occurs on a Sunday,
Wednesday. Or Friday Rosh Hashanah [first day of the civil year] is postponed [moved] to the following day.
Comment: [Rosh Hashanah is not God's Feast of Trumpets, it is the celebration of Judaism's New Year].
2. When the molad Tishri occurs at noon [18 hour] or later, Rosh Hashanah is postponed [moved] to the next
day. [or if this day is a Sunday, a Wednesday, or Friday, is moved to Monday, Thursday or Sabbath because of
dehiah.
3. When the molad Tishri of a common year falls on a Tuesday, 204 parts after 3 a.m., ie, the 3rd day, 9th hour
204 parts or later, Rosh Hashanah is postponed [moved] to Wednesday, and because of dihiah a further
postponed to Thursday.
4. When in a common year succeeding a leap year, the molad Tishri occurs on Monday morning 589 parts after
9 a.m., ie the 2nd day 15th hour 589 parts later, Rosh Hashanah is postponed [moved] to the next day.
Note:
In more than 60% of all years Rosh Hashanah does not occur on the day of the molad but is postponed [moved]
according to one of the dehioth. Therefore the dehioth are actually not the exception to the rule but the rule" End
of quote.
Let me read you a sentence of reply in a letter written in 1999 from the largest church organization split off from
the Worldwide Church of God on a "Postponement" calendar question. "It is incorrect to refer to the rules of
postponements as moving the holy days!" I would like to give you the definition of "Postponements" from the
Bible, but the word "POSTPONEMENT" is not in God's Holy Scriptures! God clearly said "You shall not add
unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that you may keep the
commandments of the LORD your God which I command you" (Deu. 4:2). Webster's Dictionary defines the
word "postpone" as: "1. To hold back to a later time; 2. To place after in order of precedence; 3. To place after."
God's Holy Days and weekly Sabbath are to be remembered and kept at their appointed time. "Keep the Sabbath
day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee" (Deu. 5:12). Remember the Sabbath day, to keep
it holy" (Ex. 20:8).
Does the "postponement rules" sound like something you want to follow??
I pray these questions and answers help explain The Church of God, In Truth's stand, on these often asked
questions!
James Russell
CHURCH OF GOD, IN TRUTH
P.O. Box 1120 Kimberling City, MO 65686
Tel: 417-338-0033 Fax: 417-338-0031
James Russell, Elder Tel: 417-338-0033 E-mail: cogit@flash.net
Pete Fleming, Elder Tel: 830-885-5502 E-mail: pmf06@gvtc.com
Spanish
M Martinez, Deacon Tel: 787-786-5856 E-mail: mmartinez@ucsint.com
Phillippines
Romeo Samudio Rep Tel: 090-8536-4415 E-mail: romesamudio@yahoo.com