Christian Churches of God - Sabbath Message

Sabbath 12/6/33/120

Dear Friends,

The Churches of God have become confused in their work and they think that they serve God but misunderstand the teachings of Christ.

Our brethren take excuses from the parables so that they can evade the work of God.

Luke 9
[49] John answered, "Master, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us."
[50] But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him; for he that is not against you is for you."

It is true that there are groups of administrations in the Churches of God. However, at any one time the lamp-stand is held by the church that is given the authority to work. This parable is concerning a man that had heard the word but he had not as yet been given to Christ. He may have been from any source. For example, Appollos was baptised by John and he had not as yet received the Holy Spirit. I remember that I was given the power to cast out demons at the time I was called. Yes, that power was never meant to imply that I was able to continue on without direction of the Holy Spirit and nor did it mean that I did not need to work without the Holy Spirit and outside of the body of Christ. It was being shown to the brethren that those who could cast out demons were given the power to do so because they were in the process of being called. They were not against us but rather they were calling upon the power of God in the name of Christ. That does not mean that they were able to carry on working outside of the Body of Christ indefinitely. Appollos and his group were all required to be baptised into the Body of Christ as were all of John’s baptism.

Some of the ministry of other Churches of God who formerly held the lamp-stand in like manner lost the power over the demons because their system was judged and dismissed. We were told that by a minister of a group that had been told by a demon they were attempting to remove that they had no power over the demons any longer. They were told that power now rested with CCG.

So there are various levels of power and activity sanctioned by God. We accept the baptism of the elect in other Churches of God but that does not mean that they have the lamp-stand any more. Nor does it mean that they can continue teaching error and false doctrine. One Church of God tried to destroy CCG in a group of nations recently. We wrote to their leaders and we were ignored. They continued in their unlawful attempts and in the end they were banned indefinitely from operating as a church in that country, and their ministry is in serious danger of imprisonment if they continue as they are. When you dig a pit for someone you fall into it yourself and catch yourself on your own snare getting out of it.

God works as a serious organised power. Some may be small and growing. However, do not delude yourself that you are in the category of working as a church of God because you work alone and bury your talent. It is CCG position that if there is someone with more truth than CCG then we will sell all we have and go and support those who are doing more and have more understanding than we do, and such obligation rests on all of the elect.

Massive numbers of the various Sabbath-keeping churches come into CCG and all those such as SDAs and SDBs request re-baptism and re-ordination as do the offshoots of the WCG request re-ordination and we have done that over the last few years in the multiple scores of thousands. These people around the world understand the requirement for humility and working together. Not for centuries has the church worked together in such a way.

The Churches of God have become as they were before the Holy Spirit was given to them.

Continuing Luke 9:
But while they were all marveling at everything he did, he said to his disciples,
[44] "Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men."
[45] But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying. [46] And an argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. [47] But when Jesus perceived the thought of their hearts, he took a child and put him by his side, [48] and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great."

These hypocrites among the Churches of God squabble as to who is greatest. None of us who put our hands to the plough and look back is fit for the kingdom of God. Many of us have been delivered into the hands of men and we will view that later.

[51] When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
[52] And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; [53] but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. [54] And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?" [55] But he turned and rebuked them. [56] And they went on to another village.

Note that the Samaritans were worshipping at Mt. Gerrizim and not at Jerusalem. So whilst the apostles would have killed them Jesus rebuked the apostles and he allowed the Samaritans to continue in their error and left them in error to this very day.

He was specifically faced with the fact of the Predestination and the Call of God.

Continuing in Luke 9:
[57] As they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." [58] And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." [59] To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." [60] But he said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."[61] Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." [62] Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

This matter has also been dealt with in the paper Let the Dead Bury Their Dead (No. 016). You are part of it until you turn back and when you do you bury your talent and your part in the Resurrection until you repent.

Matthew 25: [1] "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. [2] Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
[3] For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; [4] but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. [5] As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. [6] But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' [7] Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. [8] And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' [9] But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'

The Holy Spirit is not something that you can transfer to others nor can you get it from others. It is your own personal relationship with God. If you have not enough to last through the Marriage Supper then you have had it. God and Christ will simply deny you before the brethren.

[10] And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. [11] Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.' [12] But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

The problem also extends to the talents of God given to each individual in the Holy Spirit.

[13] Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.[14] "For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; [15] to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. [16] He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. [17] So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. [18] But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. [19] Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. [20] And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' [21] His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' [22] And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' [23] His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' [24] He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; [25] so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' [26] But his master answered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? [27] Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. [28] So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.[29] For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [30] And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'

It is not permissible for a person in the body of Christ to be idle and not to work and extend the body of Christ in the kingdom of God according to your talents and abilities. Note that the worthless servant is cast into outer darkness with those who weep and gnash their teeth. It is not permissible to sit on your backside at home and leave the work to others. They will receive your wages and your reward and you will weep.

[31] "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. [32] Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, [33] and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. [34] Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; [35] for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, [36] I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' [37] Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? [38] And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? [39] And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' [40] And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'

Your responsibility to the brethren is paramount and you are judged on how you care for the least of God’s people. As we help others so we are rewarded and as we deny others so are we punished. We are so extended simply inducting churches into the body of Christ. We can barely keep up with the costs. We have more in the harvest than we can afford to cater for. Those who can afford to help in other areas do nothing and think they are justified. The wealthier the churches the less they seem to do.

[41] Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; [42] for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, [43] I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' [44] Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' [45] Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' [46] And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

We have many to harvest but the labourers are few. Christ commences with the Seventy and we will take some examples of this which we should all find important.

Luke 10:
[1] After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. [2] And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. [3] Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. [4] Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. [5] Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this house!' [6] And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. [7] And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house. [8] Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; [9] heal the sick in it and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.' [10] But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, [11] `Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you; nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' [12] I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town. [13] "Woe to you, Chora'zin! woe to you, Beth-sa'ida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. [14] But it shall be more tolerable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. [15] And you, Caper'na-um, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.

The Seventy were the replacement of the Sanhedrin established by Christ at Sinai under Moses. There were the seventy elders selected for the Tabernacle plus the two in the camp outside the Tabernacle. Thus in the Greek text of Luke the Seventy were actually written as Hebdomekonta [duo] or the Seventy [two]. They were given authority over the demons and the passage of the Laws of God and the faith.

[16] "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me."

The Seventy are listed in the paper The Fate of the Twelve Apostles (No. 122b). That text is an interesting work and its study is recommended.

[17] The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" [18] And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. [19] Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. [20] Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." [21] In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. [22] All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." [23] Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! [24] For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

The Seventy were a very interesting and varied group. Many were martyred and curiously one went back to idolatry and a priest of idols. Note the last.

The Original Twelve Apostles

Simon named Peter (or Cephas)
Andrew his brother,
James,
John,
Phillip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James son of Alphaeus,
Simon the Zealot son of Clophas and cousin of Christ,
Judas brother of James named Thaddaeus,
Judas Iscariot the traitor.

Judas was replaced by Matthias determined by Lot (Acts 1:26)

Thaddaeus (Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13 -19)
Judas brother of James is the corresponding name in Luke’s gospel (Luke 6:12-16).

Thaddaeus is the Greek rendering of the Aramaic Thaddaios which occurs in the text in Matthew and Mark and does not appear in the text in Luke. It is taken as a rendering for Judas brother of James. There is no deviation of the persons in the texts except for the order in which they are listed.

Of the original Twelve Apostles John, Matthew, Jude and Simon died natural deaths. The others were martyred for the faith.

The Same Hippolytus ON The Seventy Apostles. ¹⁵⁰
1. James the Lord's brother, ¹⁵¹ bishop of Jerusalem.
2. Cleopas, bishop of Jerusalem.
3. Matthias, who supplied the vacant place in the number of the twelve apostles.
4. Thaddeus, who conveyed the epistle to Augarus.
5. Ananias, who baptized Paul, and was bishop of Damascus.
6. Stephen, the first martyr.
7. Philip, who baptized the eunuch.
8. Prochorus, bishop of Nicomedia, who also was the first that departed, ¹⁵² believing together with his daughters.
9. Nicanor died when Stephen was martyred.
10. Timon, bishop of Bostra.
11. Parmenas, bishop of Soli.
12. Nicolaus, bishop of Samaria.
13. Barnabas, bishop of Milan.
14. Mark the evangelist, bishop of Alexandria.
15. Luke the evangelist.

These two belonged to the seventy disciples who were scattered ¹⁵³ by the offence of the word which Christ spoke, "Except a man eat my flesh, and drink my blood, he is not worthy of me." ¹⁵⁴ But the one being induced to return to the Lord by Peter's instrumentality, and the other by Paul's, they were honoured to preach that Gospel ¹⁵⁵ on account of which they also suffered martyrdom, the one being burned, and the other being crucified on an olive tree.

16. Silas, bishop of Corinth.
17. Silvanus, bishop of Thessalonica.
18. Crisces (Crescens), bishop of Carchedon in Gaul.
19. Epaenetus, bishop of Carthage.
20. Andronicus, bishop of Pannonia.
21. Amplias, bishop of Odyssus.
22. Urban, bishop of Macedonia.
23. Stachys, bishop of Byzantium.
24. Barnabas, bishop of Heraclea.
25. Phygellus, bishop of Ephesus. He was of the party also of Simon. ¹⁵⁶
26. Hermogenes. He, too, was of the same mind with the former.
27. Demas, who also became a priest of idols.
28. Apelles, bishop of Smyrna.
29. Aristobulus, bishop of Britain.
30. Narcissus, bishop of Athens.
31. Herodion, bishop of Tarsus.
32. Agabus the prophet.
33. Rufus, bishop of Thebes.
34. Asyncritus, bishop of Hyrcania.
35. Phlegon, bishop of Marathon.
36. Hermes, bishop of Dalmatia.
37. Patrobulus, ¹⁵⁷ bishop of Puteoli.
38. Hermas, bishop of Philippi.
39. Linus, bishop of Rome [son of Caradog of Britain, Cox ed.].
40. Caius, bishop of Ephesus.
41. Philologus, bishop of Sinope.
42, 43. Olympus and Rhodion were martyred in Rome.
44. Lucius, bishop of Laodicea in Syria.
45. Jason, bishop of Tarsus.
46. Sosipater, bishop of Iconium.
47. Tertius, bishop of Iconium.
48. Erastus, bishop of Panellas.
49. Quartus, bishop of Berytus.
50. Apollo, bishop of Caesarea.
51. Cephas. ¹⁵⁸
52. Sosthenes, bishop of Colophonia.
53. Tychicus, bishop of Colophonia.
54. Epaphroditus, bishop of Andriace.
55. Caesar, bishop of Dyrrachium.
56. Mark, cousin to Barnabas, bishop of Apollonia.
57. Justus, bishop of Eleutheropolis.
58. Artemas, bishop of Lystra.
59. Clement, bishop of Sardinia.
60. Onesiphorus, bishop of Corone.
61. Tychicus, bishop of Chalcedon.
62. Carpus, bishop of Berytus in Thrace.
63. Evodus, bishop of Antioch [appointed by Cephas].
64. Aristarchus, bishop of Apamea.
65. Mark, who is also John, bishop of Bibloupolis.
66. Zenas, bishop of Diospolis.
67. Philemon, bishop of Gaza.
68, 69. Aristarchus and Pudes.
70. Trophimus, who was martyred along with Paul.
Note the extensive missions of Peter and from the Bible texts and this and other records. He was not bishop of Rome but was responsible for the tribe of Israel through Parthia and the north and at Antioch.

After the death of Christ and the Holy Spirit they were sent out in various directions and to various fates. They had been sent out in twos and later they were accompanied by others in their tasks.

The Celtic Church is one that I know in detail and so I will say what was known to happen to them.

Linus was sent to be the Bishop of Rome. He was a Briton although a Roman Catholic has written an article to try and prove that he was not but that is false. His Great Grandfather was Joseph of Aramathea who was a metals trader with Britain. He went to Britain and his daughter Anna was married to Bran the Blessed of the British Royal Family. Bran was called the Blessed because he married Anna the daughter of Joseph and the cousin of Mariam mother of the Christ. Anna was the grandmother of Linus and Cyllin sons of Caradog king of the Cantii and the Catevallauni and was chief of the Britons defeated by the army of Claudius at the border of what is now Wales and Shropshire. Linus was ordained by Christ and after Christ’s death he was sent to Rome to where his family were resident. Aristobulus was also sent to Rome with him as we know from the scriptures. His family stayed there while he went on to Britain. Paul sent his family a greeting in Romans 16:10. Linus was made bishop of Rome and is mentioned in 2Timothy 4:21. Demas also went back to becoming a priest of idols and is mentioned as being of this world in v. 10. He will be of those in the Second Resurrection that will weep and gnash his teeth. The uncle of Cyllin and Linus was Arviragus, and Cyllin married the granddaughter of Arviragus (Meurig). Caradog was killed ca. 54 CE at approximately the same time as Claudius.

Barnabas was sent to Milan where he was installed as Bishop. The other Barnabas was made bishop of Heraclea. Crisces (Crescens) was made bishop of Carchedon in Gaul. The areas of Northern Gaul were administered from Britain. Linus was martyred almost at the same time as Paul. His brother Cyllin was sent/allowed back to Britain as a client king of the Britons from Rome. His wife’s great grandfather and his uncle Arviragus had endowed the church from Glastonbury and he assisted the development of the British church. Many of the church of the Seventy and the Twelve were martyred. The details of the British Church are contained in the papers Origin of the Christian Church in Britain (No. 266) and also Hittites in the House of David (No. 067c).

Considering that many others of the Seventy were sent to the lost tribes of Israel under Peter, we can see that they went from Antioch where Peter baptised three consecutive bishops and also into Parthia before the removal of the horde into Europe and on into England. These account for the legend of Peter being sent to the Anglo-Saxons, because they were at that time Parthia, covered the areas of Iraq, Georgia, Ossettia and Armenia.

The church was expected to remain steadfast to the death and did so. Today it is anything but faithful. The text of the WCG is simple and it was laid out in the next part of the text in Luke 10.

Continuing Luke 10:
[25] And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" [26] He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" [27] And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." [28] And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." [29] But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

This is the basis of the racism rotten in the Churches of God right now throughout the US and BC. How does the Church of God justify its racism and its behavior?

[30] Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. [31] Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. [32] So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.[33] But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, [34] and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. [35] And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, `Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' [36] Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" [37] He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

So what mercy do we show in those who need help and healing and teaching and blessing in the Holy Spirit? What do you show and do for our brothers? What help do you extend to the tribes with which your fathers fought for generations? Are you not to bind them up and feed them and heal them and provide for their education?

All of us are to provide for the needs of others and for the newcomers to the faith. Do not begrudge those who are eager to learn and come to the faith as a servant and a child. Each one of these parables was given to explain to you what is required of you in the faith.

[38] Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house. [39] And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. [40] But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." [41] But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; [42] one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her."

Love your neighbours as you do yourselves and thereby show that you love God. You cannot sit at home and do nothing. Help those that seek to serve God with all their hearts.

Wade Cox
Coordinator General