Sabbath 291135120
           
Dear Friends

Over the last few weeks we were approached by Calvin Burrell of the Bible Sabbath Association to see if we were interested in assisting to help the Sabbath–keepers of the world to grow in unity and we were asked to provide input as to how we might assist the Association to grow. 

We had an invitation once before in 1996 to the Friends of the Sabbath at their meeting held in Sydney Australia and what we saw there made us less than impressed.  It was more an attempt by the SDAs to pick over what they thought was the corpse of the WCG rather than a genuine attempt to grow in truth and understanding. I saw racists from the US and people more interested in pushing a particular discredited false doctrine such as Monday Pentecost and an individual flogging his books on the Sabbath and who knows what else. At that conference the paper at http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p170.html was delivered and the Adventists were incensed that the text in Zechariah 14:16-19 said that the Feast of Tabernacles would be enforced under Messiah on pain of no rain in due season and the plagues of Egypt. They accused me of being Hitler as though I had written the text myself. They were not interested in the sections of the Bible in prophesy that contradicted Ellen G. White’s doctrines.

Calvin agreed with us that the Sabbath-keeping churches were full of these sins and errors. The real problem is how do we get to the point that people are to genuinely able to seek the truth and abandon error.  That will be very difficult as all the Sabbath–keeping churches do not work well together. I replied to Calvin in dealing with this issue concerning the difficulties that I saw.

He was told that:
We observe all the things that we know the church did in the First century. As you are all aware that is the criteria by which we work. Our task is to restore the complete faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

1. We are not Binitarians or Trinitarians and we serve only Eloah the one true God.

2. We keep the Temple Calendar with its Sabbaths, New Moons and Feasts as determined by the New Moon of the conjunction.

We asked the question: How can we find common ground with even he of the COG (SD) on these aspects? I reminded him that it was he that replaced Roy Marrs as editor of the Bible advocate and (with Whaid Rose) introduced Binitarianism and then Trinitarianism into the COG (SD) Denver Conference.  I had warned Roy that it was coming and he was absolutely devastated when it occurred because he thought the constitution would protect him. It did not do so. Why would we not be suspicious of this organisation when we saw what happened to the Denver Conference immediately after it happened in WCG? We posed the problem of: How do we achieve these aims you propose? These were in the four bullet sections.

•Develop a friendship with other Sabbath-keepers (leaders) in your area?  

Reply: We have found that these friendships are superficial. The opposing ministries defame us.

•Designate one Sabbath each year to recognize and celebrate Christian unity across boundaries?  
Reply: What unity is there possible with these people? It is a competition to attract each others membership by defamation and underhand tactics.

•Exchange fraternal delegates to area-wide or national meetings?  
Reply: If these organisations were prepared to adopt different doctrines other than worship Armstrong and White and follow Hillel, or reject their Ditheism and Binitarianism or even Trinitarianism as (the COG (SD) Denver organisation and SDA plug now, it might work. However, we will always simply refute such assertions and advance the actual doctrines practiced under Christ and the apostles and we know and can prove what they were and what the Laws of God say and do. 

•Ask leaders to begin seeking God (in prayer) for what they/we should do next?   
Reply: “We constantly do this and work as we are directed.

How can two walk together unless they be agreed? We could not even keep the Lord’s Supper with (COG (SD)) people as you want to drink grape juice there which we and the church historically will not permit.

Other than worshipping on Sabbaths what have we got in common in our system of worship and beliefs?

Given we have nothing except the Sabbath in common how can we progress from there? Even what we teach on Sabbaths radically differs in structure and content.

It has become my view that until the Witnesses get here in Jerusalem the COGs and the SDAs will not repent and change and even then many will not do so as some even believe that Armstrong was Elijah and then some don’t even understand or believe what the Witnesses are and will be expected to do.

The only way that I can see forward is for the History of the Church and its calendar be taught in the Association on the meetings and papers be invited on that subject.

At least we might factually destroy Hillel as the basis of the Calendar in the COGs. Then there may be a basis of unity on which to build. The problem is that I have seen these elders of the WCG and offshoots lie about the historical record and withhold serious matters of fact that disproves what they do and say.”

It was suggested that this Sabbath Message on the prospect of unity in the churches of God would be written and it would refer to him and the Bible Sabbath Association.

Having said that how is it possible? How do we get to the truth and have the officers and members of the various churches come together in a spirit of learning and a desire to get to the true facts of what the early church under Christ and the apostles said and did and taught?

It is not a matter of doubt. We know they kept the calendar according to the conjunction. That Babylonian error was not introduced until 358 under the High Priest R. Hillel II. It follows the Babylonian intercalations which occur in the wrong years to the calendar based on the Conjunctions used in the Temple. They are completely erroneous today even more so than they were then. I have even had some of these elders of the COG claim there was no Temple Calendar, which is a blatant lie.

How do we overcome these lies and get the churches of God and the Adventists to be convicted by truth and abandon Armstrong and White and so one? The brethren must hold their elders accountable for the truth and be able to ask any question and point out any error and ask for the correct explanation for a doctrine they do not understand. The following must be the fundamental principles of the faith and the restoration.

1. What does the Law of God state?
2. What is the Biblical position on the matter?
3. What is the known historical position on the matter?
4. What did the churches of God do in relation to the historical position?
5. How is it proposed to be corrected?

Given a dedication to these principles and the enactment of the true position the churches should be logically forced to implement change. The problem is in the US those that do so are attacked by those that claim the doctrines of Armstrong or White and they lose tithe payers and are not brave enough to stand alone. They teach for hire and that is the basic problem with the Sabbath-keeping churches.

When the Witnesses get here there will be a great division in the Sabbath-keeping churches because they will be forced to address the truth or follow their idol shepherds. Many will even reject them outright because they have been told that Armstrong or one of his cronies was Elijah or the Second Witness.

It will take a great deal of dedication and some courage to face this problem and resolve it.

Only the truth will set us free.

Pray that we can get rid of the plants in the churches of God and remove the false doctrines with which they seek to destroy us. Trinitarianism and false doctrine have been attacking the churches of God for millennia and it will not stop until the Messiah gets here and the Temple Calendar and the correct doctrines are enforced.

Pray that happens soon.

Wade Cox
Coordinator General

Reference papers:
Http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p122.html
http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p156.html
http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p170.html
http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p277.html
http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p195.html
http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p195b.html