Christian Churches of God - Sabbath Message

Our CCG church organisation in Uganda at CCG Bududa has suffered major landslides for the third time in two years in Bumwalukani-Bududa District. There have been more than 40 people in nine families in CCG that have had their homes destroyed or covered and their food and possessions buried by the landslides.

Over 20 people were killed by the landslide and 9 people were critically injured, 72 are still missing and 448 people are at a risk as a result of torrential rains that pounded the area.

By Monday afternoon dozens were feared dead by landslides that swept through four villages in Bulucheke sub-county, Bududa district.

God protected CCG people and no CCG lives were lost after heavy rain caused a series of landslides buried houses with the people in them.

This is the third deadly landslide to bury homesteads in the district in two years. In March 2010, a major landslide hit Bududa District, affecting the entire Nametsi Village, burying 300 people and displacing thousands. The survivors were relocated to Kiryandongo District. Another landslide hit the same district in August 2011 killing over 30 people.

Farms and food including the maze crops were buried and so people are homeless and short of food. They have asked for our assistance for food and tents.

We will try to assist them as soon as we are able.

Also the US church lost a very fine old gentleman of the church in Los Angeles, Mr Art Hartman, who was 84 years of age. He was a very well respected elder of the Churches of God being baptised many years ago in the church at Pasadena area. Mr Tom Schardt Coordinator for Southern California had this to say concerning the matter:

“I have known my dear friend Art since 1969. Since 1997-1998 time-frame Art, Lois, I, and Bill his flat mate until he died in 2003, have travelled together from one COG off-shoot to another until we found our home in 2004 with CCG. I remember Art telling me a number of times in our beginning years with CCG, ‘Tom I don't know what you got me into, but I cannot ignore it.’

Art came to realize not what I got him into, but what he was called by God to support. Being an electrical engineer, he rigged his apartment with speakers in just about every room with the exception of a bedroom and bathroom that was Bill's and then later, Jeremy's room. He would constantly play audio tapes of the study papers that could be heard throughout his apartment. When I would call him on the telephone, I could hear Wade's voice in the background.

Art realized what he got into, or was called into, was very profound, and he deeply appreciated it.

Every Sabbath, every New Moon, every Holy Day that we observed in our home, and every meal that we ate together, Art sat in the same chair and same location. Yes, this will be a sad Sabbath coming up as we will miss our very dear friend and brother. But we are very grateful to our Lord God Eloah for time He allowed us all to have to share with Art. This Sabbath at the round table where we gather for Sabbath services I will have a glass of water and a cup of coffee placed where Art would be sitting. Lois always brought these to him to have during services. And at our Sabbath meal there will be a shot glass with Scotch in it from the bottle that he gave to me a while ago. We will be toasting a shot of Scotch in honour to our dear friend.

I know I speak for Art as I know he would want me to say on his behalf, ‘Thank you, my dear Australian Brothers and Sisters, for allowing our God Eloah to use you to bring to me and to this dying world the Faith and Truth once delivered to the Saints. And thank you my Brothers and Sisters in the United States and Canada and elsewhere for your love and fellowship. Now get on with it and finish the Work.’

I am sure Jeremy will miss his old flatmate of recent times. I was blessed in being in Texas for the Passover and Tom put me up in his accommodation with him and Lois. I was able to be there for the re-credentialing and the appointment of officers for the US board. I spent some time in meals and discussion with Art and I was pleased to be able to speak with the old and the new brethren of North America there.

This sequence of events is prophesied. A number of the Churches of God have complained that they have lost the power of healing and held prayer vigils to restore it to them. CCG has no such view or problem.

Many of us are healed on request but many of us who are older are not being healed in recent times even though we have seen miraculous cures in past years by prayer and fasting for many people who are sickening now.

God spoke of this action and we should all bear it in mind. Sometimes God allows the sick to die because they are righteous and they are not to be exposed to further suffering. The text is in Isaiah 57:1-2.

Isa 57:1-2
1) The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart;
devout men are taken away, while no one understands.
For the righteous man is taken away from calamity,
2) he enters into peace; they rest in their beds
who walk in their uprightness. RSV

We are seeing the saints of the faith being taken from the areas that will suffer in sequence. By these actions we know that God will deal with the elect in various countries at different times. By observation the elect in North America are being dealt with now and will see a great deal happen in the not too distant future.

The promises by God are made and kept. My mother is 97 and will be 98 well before the Passover. She is old because of the promise by God under the Fifth Commandment and her honour of her parents and relatives over a long period of time. She has lived with us for over 34 years. She will fall asleep when it is time as will all of God’s people.

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