PASTOR FREDS
ARCHIVES
Article from july 20,2005
We are admonished by God to rejoice before the Lord.
Deuteronomy 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:
12 And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.
13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:
14 But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.
15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.
16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.
17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:
18 But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.
The feast is coming. how we observe it is up to us, or is it? Only you can determine what rejoicing means to you. For me it is raising voices to God and fellowshiping with Brethren and giving God thanks and glory to God for all the many blessings He has poured out upon us. If you would like to have a feast that is filled with activities, fellowshipping, love, and praising God then we look forward to seeing you this feast. The theme for the feast this year in Hot Springs, "To God be the Glory".
May God Bless,
Fred Porter
When and can and do we go too far in
preaching the Gospel?
Jesus told us to go into all nations and make disciples. Is there a way to preach the Gospel that actually turns people away from God? There is an old saying “a person convinced against their will is of the same opinion still.” How many mates have been push and bullied into doing something like going to a particular church, when they really weren’t convinced of those beliefs and did it just to keep the peace in the family. As soon as the pressure was off they left.
We can push and shove the gospel at a person and make them actually hate the truth of God instead of loving it.
Jesus told us that when we went to a person and told them the gospel, if they accepted it then we had gained a brother, but if they rejected it then we were to leave and let them alone.
Matthew 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
He didn’t say that we were to go back over and over again. We can only make things worse if we continue to push something that they don’t want to hear.
Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
So we must love people and family enough to tell them the gospel and to let them alone if they don’t want to hear it.
Article from Aug 01,2005
September 1, 2005
Greetings Brethren:
As the United States comes to grip with the magnitude of what has been described as the worst disaster in U.S. history, we in God’s church, who face the same perils, must do the same. By now, every one has seen the graphic pictures of the catastrophic devastation that overwhelmed the southern states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. But the true scope of pain, suffering, and loss of life has yet to be fully realized. We are being told that when the flood waters recede, the loss of life could reach into the thousands. Several million people had to flee to safety. Literally a half million people have been ordered to evacuate the city of New Orleans with no idea of when or even if they will ever be allowed to return. Almost 90,000 square miles of U.S. soil has been affected. For most, it will be many, many months before any resemblance of normality returns; for many, that will never happen.
The federal government and its agencies are in the beginning stages of offering assistance to those in need. However, this will take time. But additionally, and more importantly, we as members of the Church of God are commanded by God’s Holy Word to look after the brethren. Galatians 6:10 states, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith.” With that said, I am asking that God’s people put aside the individual organizational identities and draw upon the spiritual organism, which is the true body of Christ. The challenges we face in caring for the brethren today is unprecedented in modern times. It is time to pull together to serve all of the brethren in all the Churches of God, thus exemplifying the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit.
There were literally several hundred brethren in the various churches in New Orleans alone with hundreds more scattered across Mississippi and Alabama. All have been deeply affected and/or completely uprooted by this disaster, and it is possible that some have even lost their lives. ALL WILL NEED HELP. We must do all we can to fill the need. In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 we read, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches in Galatia, even so you do. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” Following that example and with the unanimous agreement of the ministry, I present the following to begin our part in serving the church:
First, under ministerial supervision, establish immediately an emergency relief fund to begin receiving the donations from those willing and wanting to offer help. This fund will be monitored by the ministry with Manis Samons, minister of Florida, receiving the donations. As need arises, we will prioritize those needs and assist accordingly.
Second, establish a temporary 800 number where members can call in to be directed for assistance. Members will need to be verified as one of the Church of God organizations. There is no way we would be able to help the hundreds of thousands in need; this fund is for those in the Churches of God.
Third, establish a home base to assist individuals through the recovery process. The New Orleans congregation of the Church of God, Worldwide Ministries has been blessed with a very large church facility. Presently, it appears from all of the pictures that the West Bank of the city may have not undertaken the flood, but that we may still have that facility. But we may have structural damage. I will know next week when the parish begins to allow people back into the area to check on their homes. My hopes are as follows: to open up that facility to all of God’s people in all of the churches to help in restoring the people’s lives. Once the city restores water and sewage and hopefully electricity, the church can become a home base of refuge, providing a place to sleep, and we can supply breakfast before people go out to care for their homes - hopefully they still have one - and return that evening to a hot meal and a night’s rest. Many have asked, “What can we do to help?” This will require manpower and finances. Presently, we will receive financial assistance only. In the next few weeks, as the home base is established, we will need bedding, blankets, food, etc. Right now is a time to prepare and to be ready.
In closing, I recall the words of Patrick Henry’s tombstone. It states, “In the worst of times he did the best of things.” During this disaster, we as God’s own people have the opportunity to shine, to rise above and exemplify the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit. We need God’s intercession now. This Sabbath, September 3, 2005, we are asking those who are able to have a day of prayer and fasting. Hopefully you will able to do so. Please pass this along to as many brethren you know, and please ask them to do the same. If you are able to send help, please contact either Anna or Manis Samons, or you can mail your check to: Manis Samons, P.O. Box 856, Newberry, FL -32669- Temporary toll-free number: 1-877-430-6791.
Please make checks payable to the COGWM Hurricane Relief Fund. May God bless you all for the many calls and the outpouring of love, for your prayers and your support, and thank you in advance for all that you can do.
Your brother in Christ,
Tom Kerry, Pastor
New Orleans Congregation, COGWM
PS: We will update you as often as possible.