Letter to our Friends - April 25, 2019

Dear Friends:

Greetings during the Days of Unleavened Bread for 2019, which run until sunset April 26^th of this year.

We have back-to-back holy days (the Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread and the weekly Sabbath), and we extend to you an invitation to join us, if possible, here in Owensboro, Kentucky – you can contact Michael C. Garrett at garrett158@roadrunner.com for details.

Do you believe that we are truly living in the end-time, according to the living Words of Jesus Christ? Do you believe that this ministry teaches and preaches the Word of God, the Truth of God, and the Plan of God? Do you believe that this ministry is used by Almighty God and Jesus Christ to strengthen your own walk with Christ? Do you believe that this ministry is dearly needed to reach the spiritual “lost sheep” of Israel and the potential sheep of Christ? If you answered Yes, then don’t wait. Become a member of the Owensboro Church of Jesus Christ today! Now,  We don’t have a lot of expenses, but we do have some. And it would be helpful – if these Messages are important to you – if you help us out some financially.

We apologize if this Letter to our Friends is getting out a bit later than usual. We hope and pray that you have been imbibing Christ in you, and avoiding leavened bread during these days.

The Days of Unleavened Bread

There have been several outside the Church of God which have emphatically stated that the Days of Unleavened Bread were done away.

Let us consider something that Michael C. Garrett has stated:

Holy Days Done Away?

Now, most so-called Christian groups – the Catholic world, the Protestant world – they say that the Jewish holy days were “done away by Jesus Christ” or some form of verbiage like that. Well, if Jesus Christ had no respect for the holy days – including the Days of Unleavened Bread – then why can we turn to Matthew 26 and read what we read!? Now this is when Jesus Christ was still a human being – but remember we have back in the Book of Hebrews, chapter 13, ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.’ Jesus Christ has one Way of doing things. The Godly Way! And He doesn’t go flip-flopping around. He does it one Way! And here, when He was a human being – Matthew 26:17 – “Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, ‘Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?’” … Now, some of those so-called Christian people will say, “Well, yeah, well Jesus, He was just living at the time of the Jewish people, and their sway. But after He died, He gave a different order.” “He told them to stop keeping those feast day’s – those Jewish things were done away, the Sabbath was done away.” I mean, that’s what they say. Well, if that is true, then why can we turn to the Book of Acts and read what we read!? If Jesus Christ did away with all of this after His death and resurrection then why in Acts 12 (and I think the Book of Acts was written 30, 40 years after the life and death of Jesus Christ) we have the apostle Paul – the apostle Paul who got his teaching directly from Jesus Christ! Paul said, ‘I didn’t learn it from a man, I learned it directly from Jesus Christ!’ So, Paul is relaying to us, and to those people back then, exactly what he had been taught by Jesus Christ! – Acts 12:1 – “Now about that time Herod [Herod Agrippa] the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the Church. 2) Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” – had him beheaded. Verse 3 – “And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. …” – in parenthesis, “Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.” Now, if Jesus had totally done away with all those “old Jewish days” and the Sabbath, why is Luke writing in the 12th chapter of Acts, why did he make a notation, “Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread”?

He said it because they were still keeping those days! Unleavened Bread was still alive and well and being practiced.

Early Christians knew that the Days of Unleavened Bread was not done away. The Apostle Paul endorsed the keeping of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (1 Corinthians 5:7). He and the other apostles observed it inside and outside Judea:

6) But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days. (Acts 20:6; NKJV).

Indeed, if Christians were not keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread, then the Spirit of God would not have inspired this to be recorded for us in this manner. Philippi was a Gentile city in Macedonia, ruled by the Roman Empire. So, the keeping of the Days of Unleavened Bread was not limited to Jerusalem. In at least two different places in the New Testament, we can see that the Days of Unleavened Bread were to be kept in Gentile locations (1 Corinthians 5:7; Acts 20:6).

Let us consider the statement, “it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread” in Acts 12:3. Since the author was the Apostle Luke, a Gentile, addressing the Book of Acts to another Gentile (Acts 1:1), why would he feel the need to even mention these days if they were unknown to the Gentiles of the first century?

Also, let me add that the highly questionable 3rd century Epistula Apostolorum claims that Jesus taught His followers to keep the Days of Unleavened Bread until He returns. While this is not true (cf. Exodus 12:14), it does indicate that some were keeping those days on into the 3rd century A.D.

Information outside the Bible reports that the Apostle Paul, John, and Philip, along with Polycarp of Smyrna, kept the Days of Unleavened Bread (Pionius. Life of Polycarp, Ch. II).

As I had stated in the previous letter: We in the Owensboro Church of Jesus Christ do not accept that the Council of Laodicea or the Council of Nicaea, or any other council spoke for the true Christian Church - the Body of Christ - the Church of God, and we continue to keep the Days of Unleavened Bread. We eat some unleavened bread for each of the seven days as God has commanded (Exodus 12:15; 13:6; 23:15; 34:18). Now, this bread can be made from different grains and nuts - the use of wheat is not biblically required.

The SEVENTH Day of Unleavened Bread

The seventh day is the 21st of Nisan/Abib.

It was on this day that Almighty God had the Red Sea parted (Exodus 14:20-21). God called the children of Israel to cross dry-shod under a cloud of darkness (Exodus 14:20-22, 29), in which they were symbolically baptized (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). And, they had to endure fleeing their enemy which was behind them and the waters divided on both sides of them. During the daylight hours of the 21st, the Egyptian army pursued them relentlessly and was ultimately annihilated (Exodus 14:23-28).

A Christian’s sequence of events begins from the acceptance of Jesus Christ, the New Covenant, of the gift of repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38-39). Christians must endure unto the end (Matthew 10:22), and attain to the resurrection of life (John 5:29; Revelation 20:6) and called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

The crossing of the Red Sea has a great lesson for Christians. At the sounding of the SEVENTH TRUMP – understand, when the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES BEGIN, THE RESURRECTION OF THE SAINTS HAS ALREADY OCCURRED! The Saints are protected! Because they’re not flesh and blood anymore. Their eternal spirit beings – members of the Family of GOD (cf. Revelation 15:2) – “…the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent [which is now cast down to the earth]” – (Revelation 12:14; see also Ezekiel 20:10). Keep in mind, the resurrection occurs on the SEVENTH TRUMP. The seven last plagues follow that. So, we will already be in “low earth orbit” in the clouds, being with Jesus Christ, in preparation for the time He, Jesus Christ, directly engages human kind. Thessalonians 2:1 – “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, …” - by our gathering, remember, we’ll be caught-up in the clouds and meet Jesus in the clouds!? Verse 2 – “…the day of Christ had come.” – that’s the Day of the Lord! Remember, all the major prophets talked about it! 75% of the “minor” prophets talked about it!

And, in duality, ONCE AGAIN God will send out His prophets, transport them by His heavenly “taxi-service,” and the two witnesses, I do believe, will have opportunities to speak to the children which are held in captivity. Now, the question is: Who are these people!? A lot of them are the people of Israel – most of which are physical members of the house of Israel. America, Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. The people where the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh settled. However, I do believe, that among some of those people will be groups of people who thought they were members of the Church of God (cf. Revelation 12:17), who thought they were doing what they were supposed to do. But did not understand that over the years their religion had been transformed into not a worship of God, but rather a worship of human beings. Verse 17 – “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [Now, if you’re in a group of people or an organization whose leader is ashamed of the name Jesus Christ, where does it leave you!? You’re out in the cold!], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Terrible things continue to grow worse all around them! They will need to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

And also, in duality, the New Testament announces a fulfillment of the utter annihilation of “pharaoh’s” army in the complete destruction of this world’s armies who will fight against the returning Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:19-21).

Indeed, the Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread helps picture the end of this world’s governmental systems and the establishment of the glorious Kingdom of God!

StatCounter Report

I recently sent Deacon Trevor the last 2 months of a report for our blog page https://owensborocojc.blogspot.com. Here are some additional information.

Most Popular Articles:

“Prophecy Series – End-Time Babylon” With no advertising this article has been viewed with regular posting 26 times in two months.

“Deliver Us From Evil – Part Two (Sermon)” With no advertising this article has been viewed with just regular posting 21 times in two months.

On our Internet Archive site the “Prophecy Series – End Time Babylon” has also been viewed 26 times since January 23rd.

So, with God’s divine help, we reach a lot of people beyond what Facebook or YouTube record.

World News Items

There has been a series of terrorist attacks, including by ‘suicide bombers’ striking the poor country with rich people nation of Sri Lanka Sunday morning. The terrorists appeared to target and murder as many as possible, striking several churches holding Easter Sunday services. Also, some high-end hotels were bombed. While Sri Lanka is predominately Buddhist, it has a significant amount of Hindus and Muslims. At first, the Sri Lankan government officials blamed “religious extremists” for the attacks without identifying them (See: Sri Lanka Blasts: Local Jihadists Blamed). However, later specified an Islamic group’s involvement (See: Sri Lanka bombings: Local Islamists to blame, government says). Friends, Sri Lanka, and the rest of this world, NEEDS the glorious Kingdom of God!

Germany is looking to acquire bombers that will be able to carry nuclear bombs (See: Germany wants nuclear bombers). Now, Minister Michael C. Garrett had this to say concerning Germany as well as a United States of Europe: “We have Iran’s refusal to cooperate with England, France, and Germany in this program to take care of these nuclear weapons! But now, I have heard commentator’s on television say that Europe now possesses Islamophobia! There is a deep fear within Europe, because they are much closer to them than they are to us. Literally, some places – on the border! I think it’s the threat of Islamic militarism, and a revitalized Roman Catholic Church and a pope of magnificent stature - These two factors will be the tipping point that causes Europe to say, “We must have strong leaders again! We must have a strong military again! We must protect our borders! We must protect ourselves! We must unite! Even though we have differences!” Remember the image in Daniel, ‘partly clay, partly iron’!? - doesn’t always get along. But in the threat of a common enemy, I believe, that Europe will coalesce together. It will be Islamic terrorism and it will be led by a revitalized Roman Catholic leader. And it’s going to set up that seventh revival.” Various ones in Europe are continuing to take steps that will lead to the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies.

In Asia: A major international conference related to China’s “Silk Road” project is scheduled to take place April 25 to 27, 2019 (See: Nearly 40 foreign heads of state to attend China's Belt and Road forum). The Chinese Belt Road and Road Initiative does not get very much attention in the United States, it, however, looks to have major prophetic implications by making “roads” (and some being maritime ports) that may indeed help gather together the world’s armies unto Armageddon (cf. Revelation 16:16). It could also very well provide Europeans better access to Asian and African markets.

We realize and understand that based upon biblical prophecies such as Daniel 11:39 as well as Habakkuk 2:6-8, the time is soon coming when the United States of America will no longer dominate the world. Other major players in the world, like the EU, Russia, and China are intent on eliminating the U.S. dollar’s dominance (See: Dollar Dominance Under Multiple, Converging Threats). Only a relative few in America see the writing on the wall, yet biblical prophecies show us that it will indeed occur, and this world continues moving in that direction.

Suggested Holy Day Service

Here is a suggested Holy Day service for this week for our scattered brethren and friends:

* 2-3 hymns.
* Opening prayer.
* Sermonette (if you choose). The one suggested for this week is: End-Time Babylon.

* Announcements (if any) and one hymn.
* Sermon: The one suggested for this week is: Christ In You (Unleavened Bread - Day 7) –

   2017. Additional sermons available at Owensboro Church of Jesus Christ.
* Final hymn.
* Closing prayer.

Suggested Sabbath Service

Here is a suggested Sabbath service for this week for our scattered brethren and friends.

* 2-3 hymns.
* Opening prayer.
* Sermonette (if you choose). The one suggested for this week is: Mark of the Beast.
* Announcements (if any) and one hymn.
* Sermon: The one suggested for this week is: In Hope of Eternal Life – Part 1. Additional

   sermons are available at Owensboro Church of Jesus Christ.
* Final hymn.
* Closing prayer.

IN CASE YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A ‘LETTER TO OUR FRIENDS’ FOR ANY WEEK, REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE MANY SERMON MESSAGES ON THE Owensboro Church of Jesus Christ website. AND MANY ARTICLES AT THE owensborocojc.blogspot.com site.

Concluding Comments

The prophet Micah wrote:

2) Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD [the Kingdom of God], To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion [New Jerusalem] the Law shall go forth, And the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem” – Micah 4:2; NKJV.

Minister Michael C. Garrett stated:

“I do not know what my Protestant and Catholic friends do with these verses! I can only imagine that they never read them, or if they do read them they take out a black magic marker and just mark them out. Because it’s the exact opposite of what their religious leaders are teaching them. And I don’t know why they just can’t look into the Word of God and say, “You know, they’ve been lying to me! My religious leaders have not told me the truth! And I’m just gonna reevaluate everything I ever thought I knew about God and the Bible, and the Plan of God.” Well, the reason they don’t do it, is because at this present time, they’re not being called. But, someday they will be. And then they will finally understand. Zephaniah chapter 3, verse 14 – “Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15) The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.” Verse 17 – “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, …” God, living on the Earth! Isaiah chapter 2 – which is almost identical to what Micah wrote in Micah 4.”

Dear friends, as we complete the Days of Unleavened Bread and keep this coming Sabbath, let us go forth as our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to, as shining examples of those who strive to live according to the Law of God – the Word of God, the Truth of God, and the Plan of God.

Sincerely,