IAUA End Time Ministry
Preparing for the End of Time
The Lord is Coming! Are you ready?
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IAUA End Time Ministry |
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Preparing for the End of Time | |
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in
IAUA
(ee-ah-oo-ah) our Father,
Greetings on this day of preparation for the weekly Sabbath. I hope this newsletter finds you in good health and happy in the service of the Lord. This is the 8th day of the 3rd month of God's Sacred Calendar. It is fifteen weeks and five days until the beginning of the Fall Sacred Holydays starting with the evening of the 1st day of the 7th month which is Trumpets Sabbath (Thursday, September 13 on the Gregorian calendar). I had a different fascinating subject all planned for this weeks newsletter but I received so much feedback about the last newsletter, I thought it would be timely to share some of it with you. One reader is deeply considering the many varied meanings of Pentecost. _____ I appreciated your sharing about Pentecost in your newsletter. Thanks! I have also read in the OT and NT what it says about it. I noticed it was celebrated to give thanks for the "first fruits" of the wheat or grain harvest. I have noticed that many feasts celebrated in the "statutes" had to do with thanksgiving and gratitude to God. It seems to me there is much to learn from that. As to "first fruits", I will be praying Wednesday for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In this, my prayers will also be for God to prepare my heart and mind to be fully surrenderd to and filled by Him, so as to reach as many of the "lost" as possible. I have met those who teach that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is to seal those who are sealed and prepare them to go through the time of trouble in the end. I am open to the possibility that the Bible may mean that; but also open to the possibility of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit may mean being filled by Him to preach the gospel more fully just before the end. It seems to me that this may well fit the meaning of "first fruits" in the Bible. At the same time, if my understanding is incorrect, than my prayer is of course to be ready through Jesus for that time. The thought of seeing people's hearts sealed for evil is sad to me. I have met those who beleive they are praying for the outpouring of the HS, who beleive that this is to seal those 144,000 who are the only ones who will be saved, etc. Most I have met who beleive that way, have a pride and self-righteousness about them in being separate from others and confident in their conservative lifestyle, what they do and don't eat, etc. Some of these do not seem to have a true love for souls motivating them in this regard. At the same time, there are those more liberal "Christians" who also do not seem to have a true love of souls, as they want to save people in their sins, not from them. Thus the truth is misrepresented by so many. My prayer is to not misrepresent these things. If God so wills that the 144,000 are those few saved and filled with the H.S. and everyone else is lost, ok, God can call the shots on that. But not me. When I read Revelation, I see also the multitude that no one can number, and this is written closely with the texts on the 144,000. So, I will pray Wednesday about the H.S. being poured out and to be used by Him more fully, as I see so many literally dying all around me. And I will also pray that if that day is a day in which only a few who are "sealed", that He will help me be what He wants me to be in that day. I realize this subject is controversial, so I understand if you choose to not print the above in the newsletter. But I did want you to know I will be praying that day. I will also be working at a job where I am working with people who are dying in sin, and will pray that day (Wed) that He will help my work for them be even that much more filled by the HS. _____ I responded: I also firmly believe the outpouring of the Holy Spirit also means being filled by Him to preach the gospel more fully just before the end. The 144,000 are only the "first fruits" and Revelation is quite clear that there are more than this.
Rev 7:3-4, 9, 13-14
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these
which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
The tribulation is described to occur after the 144,000 are sealed yet there is a great multitude which went through great tribulation. Therefore there are more than the 144,000. Ezekial 9:4-6, I Peter 4:17, and other verses also make clear that there is a separate judgment (sealing) that occurs for the church and for the rest of the world. Those who are in the church and had the opportunity to know and understand the truth will be sealed (some to righteousness, some to destruction) first and then the rest of the world receives its final chance. _____ They replied: Wow! Everything you shared below makes sence, when I've read those texts before I was leaning that way in understanding it, but not as fully understanding it as today in reading what you described below. I am grateful for what you wrote below. I was reading today in 1 Corinthians 5 about how the early Christians kept the festival of Passover...the words it used (I am at work right now, so cannot quote the Bible directly) give the idea of much thanksgiving and gratefulness as the early Christians celebrated Passover knowing that Jesus had died as our sacrifice and atonement. It has helped me to meet some Jewish people who find happiness in these ceremonies or celebrations. I have even had a few bosses who keep these times and take off from work. I also met a Jewish person who kept the Sabbath with such joyfulness and celebration. Perhaps you and I will not always agree on how to keep these events or on some particulars about them. But, I think often people have been turned off by the way the Sabbath or other "statues", etc have been presented. When you meet someone who keeps these things joyfully, walking in a close relationship with God, led by the HS, well, it makes people do a rethink about these things. Even if a person isn't convicted at the time to keep these things, it helps develop an openess for some to meet someone who keeps these things positively and joyfully. Some, unfortunately have presented these and other elements of the Christian walk in a way that makes it seem burdensome. That is false. Thanks for sharing! _____ I again responded: You can always reach a Bible when you are near a computer on the internet! http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=53&chapter=5&version=9 :-) _____ Another reader notes questions about the timing of Pentecost. _____ Hope you will not take this offensively as I am still learning all the do's and do not's about the feasts. When first introduce to the fetivals I kept Pentecost like was taught at Terra Bella, and like you, I kept the day alone - very reserved in my mind. The next year I was introduced how others were doing Pentecost - Messianics and SDAs. Then I did a very extensive study on my own of how everyone was coming to the decision on when to keep the day. Some were doing like you are and others concluded that the "count of the omer" started after the seventh day Sabbath - counting seven Sabbath and the day after the seventh Sabbath would always come to 50 days. The command definitely says after the seventh Sabbath! This way you have no worry about the continuity and the fifty days. I discussed this with Brother Vandenberg before Pesach. If you put in a festival Sabbath the count is rarely ever fifity days. Besides this where is the seventh Sabbath that would be the last in the count if we are to have the Festival the day after the Sabbath. The Karaite Jews have a very good illustration of how to count the Omer. They are also the closes group to the Sadducees that were in control of the Sanhedrin when Jesus was crucified. Ananias an Caiphas were Sadducees. Maybe I am confused! I see we are not keeping the same month this year as many others including you, and are running a month later. I also called John on this one. He said in keeping with the Great Controversy dating October 22 as Day of Atonement we will see it fall also the same this year. Also the count start date was on the Vernal equinox and not after the Vernal equinox. I am keeping the later date, but I am still studying and also conclude that the Karaites have the best method of counting the seasonal months by the barley harvest and no Vernal eqinox is involved. Elohim's Word says that is the way we are to count and next year I will be on the same wavelength with you. I do not wish to make this a point of controversy between us as I know we are all searching to do the right thing. I also pray Yahweh will look at the spirit in which we are striving to serve Him and wink at our mistakes in calculation. Give me some input when you have time - Elohim Bless _____ I responded: I take no offense at all. There is confusion in the interpretation of God's Sacred Calendar as I have mentioned many times before in my newsletters. In past recent newsletters I have carefully described my best understanding of the subject. I also clearly state that I believe that God will honor those who are doing their best based on their best understanding of God's word. The Holy Spirit is promised to guide us into all truth. I explain my best understanding on this web page. http://www.iaua.name/Calendar.html _____ While finishing this newsletter I realized that I have never directly addressed the controversy of the timing of Pentecost. So much controversy over God's calendar! Satan has done his best to create confusion about obeying God's Word. Some of the issues involved on this subject will be discussed in the next newsletter about another bizarre controversy over God's calendar. I believe the Bible is accurate and consistent. When it says fifty days, that is exactly what it means. You can't make Leviticus 23:11,15 disagree with verse 16. I believe the apparent inconsistency is resolved by understanding that there are seven sabbath periods, or seven weeks then Pentecost. There are a couple of places in the Bible that use the word Sabbath to refer to seven days or a week. Check a couple of commentaries on this verse. It is interesting to note that many people decide that Pentecost should always be observed on a Sunday after Sabbath. This falls right in line with Catholic tradition except that with Catholic tradition this occurs because they move the observance of Passover/Unleavened Bread/Wave Sheaf to an Easter Sunday. Bend your mind around that complicated logic. When there is an apparent inconsistency we need to investigate carefully. Traditions of men are not even to be considered as a guideline unless the Bible is truly not detailed enough on a critical point. I am certain that the Holy Spirit will guide us and God will honor our honest observance of our best understanding. I pray that we may all continue to strive for love, peace and unity in truth preparing for the soon coming of IAUShUO (ee-uh-oo-shoo-oh) Messiah, the Son of God. Shabbat Shalom,
Frank T. Clark
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Revised 2007-06-01 |