Letter to our Friends - April 22, 2020

Michael C. Garrett

Pastor and Overseer

Greetings dear friends from West Central Florida:

We hope and pray that you were able to grow spiritually and that Christ Himself grew ever-greater within you (cf. Romans 8:10-11) during the Days of Unleavened Bread this year.

Pentecost

While it seems like we barely finished Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost will soon be upon us!

Pentecost is May 30th at sunset to May 31st at sunset.

A two-part article on Pentecost and Healing can be found on our blog page - https://www.owensborocojc.com. Indeed, the awesome meaning is more than just Acts 2!

In my ‘Accumulation of Notes’ I wrote:

Back in Leviticus 23, it goes through a long spiel of what to do at Pentecost. But, with Acts 1 and Acts 2 – Pentecost took on a whole different meaning. The date was the same. Fifty days after the Sabbath in the middle of Unleavened Bread – the date never changed. But the meaning has changed, and the symbols have changed, and the significants have changed! Now Pentecost – 1) Birthday of the Church 2) the day where Jesus Christ pours out His Spirit upon humanity in mass as opposed to just particular. 3) the day where the Apostle Peter stood up and said, ‘Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin and you shall receive the gift of God’s Spirit.’ Pentecost is about having the Spirit of God – the mind of Christ come and be a part of your mind. Which is similar to what the Days of Unleavened Bread are talking about. Every day we need Jesus Christ! Every day we need the Spirit of God! So, the name is the same, the dates are the same, but the meaning is greatly different.

Prayer Request

I humbly ask for your continued prayers for our dear brother Bud Offutt who has been in the hospital for the past month. He is very weak and on a ventilator. Please pray for him. We need God's miracle healing.

World News Items

In Europe, there are ever-growing concerns that this COVID-19 is possibly helping the rise of a final European dictator (see ‘In Global Life-Death Struggle, Democracy Changes Course’ along with ‘As Europe Confronts the Coronavirus, What Shape Will Solidarity Take?’ and also ‘Coronavirus: EU could fail over the outbreak, warns Italy's Giuseppe Conte’). Friends, God’s living Word – the Holy Bible – teaches that Europe will NOT continue as it has been. It shows that it will – in this final end-time – reorganize under a dictator of ‘fierce countenance’ who will implement under the auspices of the Catholic Church a totalitarian police state within a United States of Europe.

“And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22) With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. 23) And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people” – Daniel 11:21-23; NKJV throughout unless otherwise noted.

Also, notice the following:

Daniel 11:31 – “And forces shall be mustered by him [the king of the North], and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; …” – so, Europe at this point in time has invaded – like a modern-day crusade; the LAST CRUSADE – the Middle East and indeed have gone straight to Jerusalem, to secure it and to acquire it. “…then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.” – we read that phrase quite a few times. Verse 36 – “’ Then the king [the king of the North; the kingdoms of the North] shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, …” – these are the leaders of that European power – which the Bible calls the “beast” and the “false prophet.” One is military and civil government, the other is religious. “…’ shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished [the Day of the LORD]; for what has been determined shall be done.’” – in the end, the false prophet and the beast power will be killed and executed. Verse 40 – “’ At the time of the end the [kingdoms] of the South shall attack him; and the [kingdoms] of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; …’” – talking about military engagement – an invasion and taking over of land! “…’ and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41) He shall also enter the Glorious Land [meaning Jerusalem], and many countries shall be overthrown; but [initially] these countries shall escape from his hand: Edom [Turkey], Moab [Iraq], and the prominent people of Ammon [Jordan]. 42) He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.’” – so that the northern/eastern section of Africa. Verse 43 – “…’ also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44) But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45) And he [the king of the North – the false prophet and the beast power] shall plant the [tabernacle] of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain [Jerusalem], yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.’” Just constant warfare! And the whole chapter 11 is this raging warfare antipathy between the kingdoms of the North and the kingdoms of the South. … All the Book of Revelation is talking about is a UNITED EUROPE! … WAKE UP, PEOPLE!

(Garrett, M. Mark of the BEAST, March 2017). 

We are beginning to see a greater increase of totalitarian restrictions, including even being enforced by drones in various parts of the world (see ‘US, European Cities Turn to “Talking Drones” From China to Enforce Social Distancing’). 

Europe, as well as the US, are looking to see how to reopen some aspects of the economy – yet many do not believe life will easily return to pre-COVID-19 ‘normalcy’ (see ‘A new Trump vs. California battle looms over reopening an economy battered by coronavirus’ also ‘Coronavirus: Gov. Newsom details plan for lifting lockdown’ and also ‘Several European countries relax coronavirus restrictions’).

Notice the following:

Now They Are Telling Us That Life In America Will Definitely Not Be Returning To Normal “For The Foreseeable Future”

If you thought that this pandemic would pass quickly and that life in America would soon return to “normal”, I am afraid that you are in for quite a shock. Some of the restrictions currently in place will eventually be lifted, and efforts will be made to get people back to work, but life is still going to be radically different from what we had become accustomed to before COVID-19 started sweeping across the globe. Authorities are telling us that there may be “rolling shutdowns” for up to 18 months, that social distancing guidelines will be necessary for a long time to come, and that this crisis will not ultimately be resolved until they can inject everyone with a vaccine. If all of this greatly alarms you, please be assured that you are not alone. …

Over and over again, a “vaccine” is being touted as the golden ticket that will get us out of this mess.

The head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Neel Kashkari, is another prominent voice that is warning that there won’t be a return to normalcy until a vaccine comes along. And until that time comes, he believes that we are potentially facing “an 18-month strategy of rolling shutdowns”…

Kashkari, while acknowledging the downside of what a prolonged shutdown could mean for the economy, said the U.S., “barring some health-care miracle,” is looking at an 18-month strategy of rolling shutdowns based on what has happened in other countries.

“We could have these waves of flare-ups, controls, flare-ups and controls, until we actually get a therapy or a vaccine,” he said. “We need to find ways of getting the people who are healthy, who are at lower risk, back to work and then providing the assistance to those who are most at risk, who are going to need to be quarantined or isolated for the foreseeable future.”

In other words, Kashkari believes that all or part of the nation will be shut down over and over again whenever the number of coronavirus cases starts to spike too high.

Of course the WHO is eagerly looking forward to global vaccination as well, and the head of the WHO just told the media that he believes that this virus is ten times deadlier than the swine flu pandemic of 2009…

Coronavirus is ten times deadlier than the 2009 swine flu pandemic and a vaccine will be needed to halt it, the World Health Organization has said.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing from Geneva the organization was constantly learning about the bug sweeping the globe.

Over and over again, officials are telling us that we are facing an 18 month timeframe until a vaccine will be ready. …

By the time 18 months goes by, most of the general population will be so desperate to feel safe from this virus that they will race out to get the vaccine as fast as they possibly can.

And until then, we can expect economic conditions to steadily deteriorate.

Yes, hopefully most businesses in the country will be allowed to reopen in a matter of weeks, but that doesn’t mean that the customers will come back. …

My hope is that all of the pain that is ahead will cause a mass awakening and America will turn in a more positive direction.

But to most people, the immediate future looks really bleak right now, and that is not going to change any time soon.

(Read More: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/now-they-are-telling-us-that-life-in-america-will-definitely-not-be-returning-to-normal-for-the-foreseeable-future).

Friends, this COVID-19, in a sense, is but another sign of ‘the beginning of sorrows’ (Matthew 24:8) for this world!

Our LORD God said, “ … ‘for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.’” – Matthew 24:6b.

Also, many countries, as well as the US states, are under some form of emergency declarations because of this coronavirus (see ‘US coronavirus cases surpass 556,000 while millions of Americans celebrate Easter’ and ‘Whistleblower – How CDC Is Manipulating COVID-19 Death Toll’). Statements and US actions have upset Germany, the European Union, and many others around the world (see ‘WHO, allies lament Trump cut to US funding as virus rages’ and ‘Coronavirus: Trump's WHO de-funding 'as dangerous as it sounds’ ‘Coronavirus: German easing of lockdown to start with schools on May 4’).

Suggested Sabbath Service

Here is a suggested Sabbath service for this week.

● 2-3 hymns. (a free printable “Old Time Gospel” hymn site is The Old Time Gospel).
● Opening prayer.
● Sermonette (if you choose). The one suggested is “Are We To Listen To Others?” by Leonard V. Johnson.
● Announcements (if any – it could be this letter) and one hymn.
● Sermon. The one suggested is “Dimash in NYC – Faith; Hope; Patience; Tribulation” by Michael C. Garrett. (Many more sermons are available at http://www.owensborochurchofjesuschrist.com/).
● Final hymn.
● Closing prayer.

IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A ‘LETTER TO OUR FRIENDS’ FOR ANY WEEK, REMEMBER WE HAVE MANY SERMON MESSAGES ON THE Owensboro Church of Jesus Christ website. Also, friends, be to SUBSCRIBE to our BitChute channel.

Concluding Comments

The Days of Unleavened Bread for 2020 are behind us, but that doesn’t mean that we should not ask Almighty God and Jesus Christ for the renewing daily of the glorious Spirit of God!

“ … put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts, 23) and be RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT of your mind, 24) and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” – Ephesians 4:22-24.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11) Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” – Psalm 51:10.

The apostle Paul wrote:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2) Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6) knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7) For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10) For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11) Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13) And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” – Romans 6:1-13.

Friends, let us strive as true Christians to live by Jesus Christ’s living words:

“’ As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he [or she] who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58) This is the BREAD which came down from heaven – not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this BREAD will live forever.’” – John 6:57-58.

Jesus Christ our Lord is that Bread! Let us continue taking daily of this Bread!

In deep gratitude and love, in Jesus' name,