James Russell, Elder
To God's scattered Brethren,
I pray you had a rewarding Pentecost. Pentecost, 2013, is the only Holy Day this year when all the
Churches of God are in one accord. This event marks a day of harmony and unity that lends itself to giving
praise, honor and worship towards our heavenly Father and Jesus, the Christ. It is a day that the Churches of God
can join forces to thank our Lord and Master, Jesus, the Christ, for His sacrifice that lead to our receiving the
comforter (His Holy Spirit)! "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go
not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send it unto you. And when it is come, it
will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness; and of judgment of sin, because they believe not on Me;
Howbeit when it, the Spirit of truth, is come, it will guide you into all truth: for it shall not speak of itself; but
whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak, and it will show you things to come" (John 16:7-9,13).
It is through God’s planned out Holy Days that show us things to come. We have just finished the
Spring holy days and are now looking forward to The Feast of Trumpets, Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and
Last Great Day. All these set apart days spells out God’s plans ahead for us - His called. It is through the
weekly and annual Sabbaths we are schooled to prepare for serving our Lord and His ways in the peaceful
millennium just ahead.
But the age in which we live in today is very frightful! People have become calloused to what is going
on in the world around them! Example; Jerusalem is surrounded by hostile Nations and hostile armies. Russia
and China are selling weapons of destruction to radical Islam armies that hate the United States and nations
supported by the United States of America!
Those who have aspired to political power in our God given nation have overlooked, the Divine
responsibility that rests upon their shoulders to administer peace, not the shedding of blood! When occupying
positions of authority over God’s people and ignore the perfection of the commandments, statutes and judgments
of the Law of the Lord is to follow a hazardous course. They will not remain un-condemned in God’s sight when
the land is full of violence.
The Prophet Isaiah confirmed the fact of blood guiltiness on the part of those responsible for maintaining
law and order and who have failed to do so. “For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with
iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any
pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity” (Isa
59:3-4).
World events are about to erupt. All these last elections and changing of major governments on the world
seen are being set in for the New World Order, and players are being put into their strategic positions. Behind
the scene forces are at work with plans, programs, and conspiracy movements to control everyone’s move.
As Christians we are warned by the Spiritual Word for life, "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time
your hearts be overcharged with sufeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you
unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch you therefore,
and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand
before the Son of man" (Luke 21:34-36). Christ speaks of a divine promise of protection for those who are
awake! Those who are asleep, and lukewarm sitting on a fence are told by God, “He will spew them out of His
mouth" ( Rev 3:16). But For those who will follow our Lord, and seek Him with all their heart, obeying His
commands; and listen for His guidance; the Bible says the Lord will give protection, comfort and strength.
God's people have to wake up before it's too late for putting their house in order. Groping around in
darkness of confusion, ignorance and mis-understanding will not allow entrance into God's soon coming
Kingdom. God's called, not yet chosen, have closed their ears from hearing God's truth. Many have become
steeped in deceptive false education and cannot be aroused from their slumber, will not accept God's Word as
being His will!
Example; the Sabbath is a sign between God and His called out ones. "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 ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you" (Exo. 31:13). God's weekly Sabbath
and annual Holy Day Sabbaths, are a sign of His called people. Both of these Sabbaths are to be kept at their
appointed time according to scripture, God's living Word.
The Sabbath identifies those who truly are God's called out ones! Sabbath breaking was the prime reason
for both Israel’s and Judah's captivity! Sabbath keeping is so important to God that He punished both Israel and
Judah, His chosen, for not following His statutes (annual Sabbaths) and His commandments. "Moreover all these
curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou
hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes [commanded
Holy Day Sabbaths], which He commanded thee: And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and
upon thy seed for ever. Because thou serve not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart,
for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee,
in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and He shall put a yoke of iron upon thy
neck, until He have destroyed thee" (Deu. 28:45-48).
Now is not the time to be asleep, drowsy or lukewarm! Ask God to remove the strong delusion that has
caused you to believe a lie! "Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? Even him,
whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth that they
might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (II Thess.
2:5, 9-11). God's called and chosen are set apart at this time because they obey and believe God and His word.
"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from
the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (II Thess. 2:13).
God's church, where His chosen elect are, should understand as the prophet Jeremiah did when God
revealed to Jeremiah the destruction that was about to take place in Judea because of the sins of the Jews. King
Nebuchadnezzar's army was preparing to overrun Jerusalem, Jeremiah in vision saw the people sound asleep.
This vision distressed Jeremiah literally to the point of pain in his heart. "My bowels; my bowels! I am pained
at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, 0 my soul,
the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war, Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled"
(Jer. 4:19-20). The Church of God, In Truth, knows how Jeremiah felt! We cannot keep silent at this end time.
The scattering of God's Holy people are closer to the time of Christ’s return and another year closer to
the beginning of the Great Tribulation!! Ignoring God's revealed truth produces a lethargic attitude and that is
frightening. Through the "Prove All Things" we are trying to wake those who are asleep to the truth of God's
Word before its too late!! Truth is what we are commanded to teach, not soft and smooth things!! Building a
following after the self is not our goal. Waking up to the reality of God's word and His Truth from His written
Word is our goal!
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: // Martin Martinez, Deacon Tel: 787-786-5856 E-Mail: marty@ucsint.com
Philippines: // Romeo Samudio, Rep Tel: 090-8536-4415 E-Mail: romesamudio@yahoo.com
Kenya: // George Otieno: Rep Tel: 254-7285-46497 E-Mail: otiscog@gmail.com