Thursday, July 2, 2020

Letter to our Friends - June 30, 2020


OWENSBORO CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY 42303




June 30, 2020

MICHAEL C. GARRETT
FOUNDER, PASTOR


Greetings from West Central Florida:

Friends, we are continuing to do the work of God related to Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 15:1-7; John 10:27; and John 21:15-17 in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

We trust that you are having a spiritually productive week.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Friends, the greatest news, the most fantastic, the most astonishing, the most mind-boggling news is in our very own Bible! The Good News of Jesus Christ!

Have you ever heard about it!? It’s right there in your Bible – in Genesis.
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” – Genesis 1:26 NKJV
Now, if you didn’t catch that, let me spell it out for you. “Let US make man in OUR image, according to OUR likeness.”

This statement alone reveals to us the very significance of who and what God is – and the very reason why men and women were created by God in the first place!

Now, it’s obvious that the words us and our are plural words. But, in fact, the very word “God” here is a plural word – Elohim – indicating more than one. So, there is more than one in the God Family.

Actually, this very phrase “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” makes it abundantly clear that human beings look like God! If you ever wanted to know what God looked like – look in the mirror. For you and I are in the very image and likeness of God!

Now, when it came to creating human beings – men and women – who were created in the very image and likeness of God - here is more of that passage:
“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” – vv. 26-27.
So, there is no excuse not to know – God created animals after the animal kind. He created trees after the tree kind. But He created humans after His own image and likeness – after the God kind.

Friends, this greatest news anyone could ever see or hear on this planet was revealed by God to me now nearly four decades ago – but there’s more!

As shocking as all of this sounds, the very reason that when you and I look into a mirror and have the very image and likeness of God is because we were actually created to be part of the Family of God and to live with Him for all eternity!

For in Hebrews we read:
“Both the One who make men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, ‘I will declare Your name to My brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing Your praises.’ And again, ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ And again He says, ‘Here am I, and the children God has given me’” – 2:11-13 NIV
Now, this does not mean that we will be God the Father or Jesus Christ – but it does mean that we will be Jesus Christ’s brothers and sisters – actual children in the Family of God.
“And I will be your Father, and you will be My sons and daughters,’ says the LORD Almighty” – 2nd Corinthians 6:18 NLT
’ Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God” – Matthew 5:9.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe [on] His name” – John 1:12.
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” – Galatians 3:26.
And friends, just as children get all the rights and privileges of earthly parents from being their sons and daughters. Almighty God’s children, too, receive rights and privileges from being related to Him!
“’ And they will never die again. … They are children of God and children of the resurrection’” – Luke 20:36 NLT
“For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are His children, we are heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering” – Romans 8:16-17 NLT
It’s amazing to me how more people just can’t see or hear – or even accept – what these passages clearly say, “we are the children of God.” In fact, even more clearer language is found in the New Testament – “We are His offspring” – Acts 17:28 NLT And, friends, it behooves me to announce this!

How glorious and how wonderful – there will be millions if not billions of human beings born into the very Family of God!

Friends, our destiny is the greatest news anyone could ever hear! And, I know it sounds shocking! It literally shook me to the core when I first heard this and the very first theological question so many years ago – “Stop and think! Would a Creator, having supreme intelligence, wisdom, and love to think out, plan, design, and bring about all creation – this earth, and all life upon it – have left human beings in ignorance of His purpose?” Certainly not!

The apostle John explains it this way – “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” – 1st John 3:2 NIV

The people which God the Father has called unto Christ in this life are already in the Family of God, though we are still currently in our flesh-and-blood bodies. Yet, at the very blowing of the SEVENTH TRUMP – the very return of Jesus Christ – the dead in Christ will be resurrected and those in Christ still alive will be instantly changed – given eternally alive bodies composed of wholly Spirit.

Jesus Christ Himself spoke of this very thing – noting that people would have to be born of spirit in order to be in the Kingdom of God – “’ I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit’” – John 3:5-6 NIV

The apostle Paul explained that God will change our mortal bodies from mortal into immortal. But why is this so essential!? Because “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God” – 1st Corinthians 15:50 NIV Why!? Because God Almighty and Jesus Christ are on an immortal plane – a completely different dimension than human beings of flesh-and-blood.

Again, here’s Paul’s exposé concerning our future bodies in the Kingdom of God:
“There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. … It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies” – 1st Corinthians 15:40-44 NLT
And, he continues:
“Just as we are now like the earthly man [Adam], we will someday be like the heavenly Man [Jesus Christ]. What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies” – vv. 49-53.
Jesus Christ died and was resurrected into His glorified, immortal body. Paul called Him ‘the Firstborn among many brethren’ – “For God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son, so that His Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” – Romans 8:29 NLT Can anything be more plain truth!?

Let us also consider what Paul wrote in Hebrews:
“For in one place the Scripture say, ‘What are people that You should think of them, or a son of man that You should care for him? Yet You made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them authority over all things.’ Now when it says ‘all things,’ it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority” – Hebrews 2:6-8 NLT
I suggest that you read that slowly over again. Here is the very answer to an infamous question of the ages – what is man? Man is a being that at the moment is ‘a little lower than the angels.’ Yet, once we die, we will eventually be above the angels – very members of the Family of God!

Dearest beloved friends – including, of course, our friends in the Philippines, Germany, Bangladesh, and the United States – many of you have never heard this message. But it’s right here on the pages of your own Bible. Whether or not you choose to believe it is up to you.

The whole of the universe is anxiously waiting for the coming day – when the true and eternal members of the Family of God is revealed:
“For all creation [including our nearest neighboring galaxy – the Andromeda Galaxy – some 2.5 million light-years from us] is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His [born] children, including the new bodies He has promised us” – Romans 8:19-23 NLT
So, we were not created in the image and likeness of tigers, no matter how gorgeous they are. We were not created from gorillas, though they are majestic beasts.

God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” We, friends, were created in the very image and likeness of the great Ancient of Days – the all-knowing, all-holy, all-loving, all-eternal Almighty God, who is bringing unto His Family countless children.

Will you be one of them!?

Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day in 2020

This year, the Feast of Tabernacles begins the evening of October 2nd and continues until the Last Great Day which is October 10th.

Last month we wrote - because of COVID-19 concerns, there could be issues with various locations for the Feast of Tabernacles 2020. Indeed, true Christians are to ‘gather together,’ though atheists do not understand. We consider holding religious services like the Feast of Tabernacles as essential.

Wingfield Inn & Suites Photo by Business Owner

I have personally stayed with the Wingfield Inn & Suites in Owensboro, Kentucky several times. Its location is 3220 W. Parrish Ave. Owensboro, Ky. 42301. Here is a photo from its website - http://www.wingfieldinnandsuitesowensboroky.com/.

Should you wish to stay there, the daily room rate is $95 per night, plus applicable taxes. You can call (270) 685-2433 to make reservations.

At this instant, we still intend to hold the Feast of Tabernacles in Owensboro, Kentucky at the Logsdon Community Center 2400 Friendship Drive, Owensboro, Kentucky 42303. However, there may be changes in location and how we can conduct services. Yet, we will still intend to hold services for the Feast of Tabernacles and encourage all who have a good character and would like to attend – you are more than welcome. For more information, please contact Mr. Garrett at garrett158@roadrunner.com.

World News Items

In the United States of America, protests and civil unrest remain a grave issue (see ‘Protesters allegedly attack state senator and topple statues outside Wisconsin State Capitol’). Just as dire was Abraham Lincoln’s House Divided Speech of 1858 – "A house divided against itself, cannot stand." It’s ever-more dire one hundred and sixty-two years later!! Our Lord Jesus Christ’s words couldn’t ring more relevant today – “’ Every kingdom [or, every nation, people, or group] divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand’” – Matthew 12:25.

Now, strangely enough – it seems odd that protestors would topple over a statue of a man who actually fought against slavery – Col. Hans Christian Heg. He was a Norwegian immigrant and an anti-slavery activist who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It goes to show you – 'those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.' Violence begets violence!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used this very phrase when he said, “Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love...” 1 So, this violent protesting dishonors Dr. King!

Sadly, such violence was prophesied to occur with those who will not heed the words of God:
“’ Because you disdained all My counsel, And would have none of My rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you’” – Proverbs 1:25-27.
“’ You have forsaken Me,’ says the LORD, ‘You have gone backward. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I AM weary of relenting! And I will winnow them with a winnowing fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children; I will destroy My people, Since they do not return from their ways. Their widows will be increased to Me more than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, Against the mother of the young men, A plunderer at noonday; I will cause anguish and terror to fall on them suddenly’” – Jeremiah 15:6-8.

Also in the news – India and China are clashing (see ‘China claims valley where Indian, Chinese troops battled’). Also, China is taking military steps that bear great concern (see ‘What is an EMP attack, and how might China carry out a ‘nuclear Pearl Harbor’?’).

Friends, whether it was related to China, Iran, or North Korea – or terrorism in general – the POTUS Donald Trump has great concerns about an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and took some steps last year:
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to protect the US from electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) that could have a “debilitating” effect on critical US infrastructure.
Trump instructed federal agencies to identify EMP threats to vital US systems and determine ways to guard against them, Bloomberg first reported. A potentially harmful EMP event can be caused by a natural occurrence or the detonation of a nuclear weapon in the atmosphere.
The threat of an EMP attack against the US reportedly drove the president to issue Tuesday’s order. …
“Today’s executive order — the first ever to establish a comprehensive policy to improve resilience to EMPs — is one more example of how the administration is keeping its promise to always be vigilant against present dangers and future threats,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement, according to The Hill.
With the release of the White House National Security Strategy in 2017, Trump became the first president to highlight the need to protect the US electrical grid.
“Critical infrastructure keeps our food fresh, our houses warm, our trade flowing, and our citizens productive and safe,” the document said.
“The vulnerability of U.S. critical infrastructure to cyber, physical, and electromagnetic attacks means that adversaries could disrupt military command and control, banking and financial operations, the electrical grid, and means of communication.”
(Read More: https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-signs-executive-order-electromagnetic-pulse-attack-2019-3).
But, was it enough!?

COVID-19 remains a major issue in the USA and all around the globe (see ‘WHO Chief Says 'Politicization' of Pandemic Hurting Global Efforts’ as well as ‘Surging US virus cases raise fear that progress is slipping’). I myself have been saying for some time that this ‘scaredemic’ has been politicized. And, WHO itself is one of the culprits. As well as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, California Governor Gavin Newsom, as well as others.

In Judah – known today as the nation of Israel – schools are training priests to perform rituals in anticipation of the 3rd temple (see ‘Jerusalem School Trains Priests to Perform Temple Rituals in Anticipation of 3rd Temple’). We know – from the very word of the Eternal One – that regular animal sacrifices with the Israeli government's approval will resume – and a coming temporary peace deal will come to that region:
“’ And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah [which is Jesus Christ] shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27) Then he [the prince who is to come] shall confirm a covenant with many for one week [seven-years]; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate’” – Daniel 9:26-27.
Now, briefly, this is our understanding of this amazing two-fold prophecy:
This is a prophecy often referred to as the SEVENTY WEEKS PROPHECY. Verse 27 – Remember, verse 25 we see the word “Messiah.” That’s who we’re talking about here in verse 27. The “he,” who – JESUS CHRIST – “he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;” Which in Bible parlance, one day for a year – this is SEVEN YEARS. “But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.” Now, who was the ultimate sacrifice!? Jesus Christ. When did He die!? When was He executed!? He was executed on a WEDNESDAY, in the middle of the week. And, His human life ended after 3½ years of His public ministry. It was SEVEN YEARS He was supposed to have a very special dispensation. And He lived upon this earth for 3½ years, it begs the question: What became of the other 3½ years!? Well, the other 3½ years will be fulfilled in those events upon His return and for 3½ years the Millennium doesn’t really start, UNTIL AFTER 3½ years. Because Jesus Christ for 3½ years, is, as it were, remolding and reshaping the Earth – the people of the Earth. He’s getting the attitudes right. We are told, “as a Rod of Iron.” And, Jesus Christ WILL wield that club, and we as members of the resurrected Family of GOD WILL in part wield that club, and here’s a part of the story – God uses the physical people of Israel as a part of His club. That’s a part of the story which has NEVER been told.
(Garrett, M.C., Notes Concerning The Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day PDF, 2019).
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 “CURSES” by Michael C. Garrett.
● Announcements (if any; you’re welcome to use this letter) and one hymn.
● Sermon. The one suggested for this week is “Being A Witness” by Michael C. Garrett. Many more sermons are available at 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 – Home website. Don’t forget we have a Twitter page where you can find news from around the world in relation to biblical prophecy @aservant1God.

Concluding Comments

Friends, this world is in trouble, it’s in a violent upheaval – with terrorism and escalating civil unrest the likes of which we haven’t seen since the ‘60s! Why!? Why all these seemingly unsolvable tribulations!? There seems to be no peace – as the youth of today are threatening, “No justice, no peace!” There’s no peace between neighbors. No peace between political parties. No peace between classes. No peace between nations. Now, recently – and I will be posting it soon – I spoke of “What is … God?” And of why God isn’t intervening in this world’s tribulations. Well, Satan the devil – and folks, unlike an M&Ms Christmas commercial, “he does exist!” and is ramping up his attack on the nations of Israel!

Minister Guy C. Lamar shared this IMPORTANT video – and I’d like to share it with you here. The minds at YouTube have deemed this video "inappropriate for some users." Why!? - because it speaks truth!? The number-one enemy to blame that wasn’t mentioned in this video is Satan the devil. And he is doing everything he can to divide America, and to utterly destroy America – and he is succeeding! But, friends, there is a KEY – a KEY to understanding! And that’s the Way the very Inventor of this KEY intended it to be – unlocked only by those He has called unto Christ Jesus His Son – cf. Matthew 13:11. Having this valuable key – more precious than any gold – is understanding the very knowledge of God Himself. You could understand the very purpose being worked out here on Earth. You could understand why there is a Satan, and even who he is. Where he came from. How he came into being. The very mastermind behind this violent civil unrest – including the very one behind and motivating the actions of the Black Lives Matter organized movement as well as the Antifa movement! Friends, it’s important to know just who really is behind this violent evil uprising! In this closing comment section, I feel that it’s important to go over a little of this awesome knowledge – here is a bitting cut of this KEY:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” – Ephesians 6:12.

This world’s mortal and spiritual enemy – though he is portrayed as a god in religions such as Wicca, Satanism, as well as other Theistic Luciferian groups – is an evil invisible spirit. And, therefore a being which the world at large laughs off and claims doesn’t exist – because they cannot see him, touch him, smell him, or taste him, or hear him. Yet, this world’s tribulations are not coming from other people – of flesh-and-blood – it’s actually coming from unseen ‘principalities, from powers and rulers of darkness, of spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.’ The very ones mentioned in that said important video – like Cuomo, Murphy, Wolf, and Whitmer – as well as those mentioned in the World News Items and others, are nothing more than sycophants behind all of those vile evil spirits – of which Satan the devil is the chief. Who the apostle Paul calls ‘the prince of the power of the air’ – Ephesians 2:2.

So, very quickly here – God created mankind and gave mankind His law – summed up in His Ten Commandments – but notice this ladies and gents:

“Now the serpent [the enchanted whisperer] was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” – Genesis 3:1.

In other words, he beguiled her and said, “Didn’t God hold some of this back for Himself!? Isn’t God being stingy!? Isn’t God being selfish!? He didn’t give you everything – did He!?”

“… the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said ‘You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’” – vv. 2-3.

Satan the devil answered, “You will not surely die.”

But what about you – today in the 21st century – do you still believe this lie!? This is the first and enduring lie told by Satan the devil. But friends, you’re not an immortal soul – you are a mortal soul. You came out of the dust of the ground – Genesis 2:7.

God Himself says – twice, for clarification and importance – “the soul who sins shall die” – Ezekiel 18:4, 20.

So, people do see some of these very things in the pages of the Bible – and they can’t admit that it’s not there. Yet, the majority of people do not understand the Bible and it seems like just foolishness to them – or like my wife says, just a bunch of men who wrote a bunch of letters.

Well, it took a military Enigma machine to break the codes used by the Germans as well as the Japanese during World War II. It doesn’t take a machine to decipher and to understand the very words of God – the Holy Bible. But I’ll tell you what it does take – the Holy Spirit of God.

But how do you receive the Holy Spirit of God!? You repent. You go to Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ and admit how wrong you are and how wrong you’ve been. And, you admit just how right God is and has been all along. Have you!? Because you won’t receive His Spirit until you do; and then, as promised, you will receive the very gift of the Holy Spirit – Acts 2:38.

Now the LORD God – the very One we know of as Jesus Christ – spoke to the first man, Adam, but he didn’t believe God. Then, He came and spoke to thousands upon thousands of people – and they scoffed. Only 120 truly believed what He said – did you know that!? Jesus – ‘God with us.’ They didn’t believe what He said.

Are you one who believes what Jesus Christ has to say!?


Now, we have a two-part sermon entitled “Deliver Us From The Evil One” that I’d like you to watch. You don’t have to give an offering. We don’t beg for any money on the air. We don’t ask for anything. We only want to give this to you. This video is free – there is no charge whatsoever.

And, here’s an online booklet I want you to read and have – it’s important, too – “The Mark of the BEAST.” It’ll surely open your eyes to something that is hidden to most. Just what is the mark of the beast spoken of in the Book of Revelation!? Is it an electronic chip placed under the skin? Is it credit cards or some mysterious tattoo!? Be sure to click on that link and read this enlightening booklet.


In deep gratitude and love, in Jesus' name,



1 "Struggle for Equality: Quotes From Martin Luther King, Jr". Scholastic Inc. January 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-01-22.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Be sure to leave a comment and tell us what you think.