April 2011

April 1, 2011

Dear Brethren,

Today, as we can see, the world is full of trouble and turmoil, revolution exactly as Jesus prophesied. While these things are happening we are not to be troubled: “ ‘And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be terrified; for it is necessary that these things take place first, but the end will not come immediately.’ Then He said to them, ‘Nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall also be great earthquakes in different places, and famines and pestilences; and there shall be fearful sights and great signs from heaven’ ” (Luke 21:9-11).

Jesus continues showing the severity of the things to come, as it will never get back to the so-called “good old days.” Rather, “There shall be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress and anxiety among the nations, the seas roaring with rolling surges; men dying of heart attacks from fear and dread of the things that are coming on the whole world; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (verses 25-26). We will continue to watch these momentous events unfold as they will fulfill all the prophecies of the Bible.

However, at this time, we need to focus our minds on the coming Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. These are more important than the events in the world because we are being called to eternal life and these commanded feasts of God are for us to observe as the central aspect of our covenant of eternal life with God the Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

We need to realize that the entire Bible is centered around the New Covenant Christian Passover. The Old Testament points toward the Messiah and His Sacrifice on the Passover Day, which occurred on April 5, 30 AD, Nisan 14 according to the Calculated Hebrew Calendar. The New Testament looks back on that sacrifice by “the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 35). However, the entire Bible combined also teaches us how we are to overcome, grow in love, grace and knowledge and be prepared for eternal life.

This year because the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread come right after the middle of the month—the time we normally make our mailings to you—we are making this mailing early this month. If we mailed it at our regular time, we would all be in the middle of keeping the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. But you need what we are sending in this mailing in order to keep these feasts of God.

Therefore, on this CD we are including for you every thing you need for the Passover and the feast. It contains The Covenant Between God the Father and Jesus Christ; The Sabbath Before Passover, April 16, 2011; Complete Passover Ceremony, the evening of April 17, 2011; The Night to be Much observed to the Lord, April 18, 2011; The First Day of Unleavened Bread; April 19, 2011; The Sabbath During Unleavened Bread, April 23, 2011; and the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, April 25, 2011. We have also included a Passover Ceremony Booklet with all the scriptures for the entire Passover Service. By using the booklet with the scriptures, it makes it possible for you to concentrate more fully on the words and meaning of the Passover itself without having to go back and forth in your Bible. If you need more Passover booklets, please call the office immediately and we will rush them to you.

Remember, the New Covenant Christian Passover is the covenant for eternal life based on the love of God—God the Father’s love for us and our love back to them. The Father’s love is expressed this way by the apostle John: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Jesus said that our love toward God is expressed this way, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment; and the second one is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40).

Jesus further expounded on the disciples love for each other on the night of His last Passover. We are to have a special love that only comes from Jesus Christ—the same love that He had for them: “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another in the same way that I have loved you, that is how you are to love one another. By this shall everyone know that you are My disciples—if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

Jesus continued to teach the disciples about the love of God. It is a deep, abiding spiritual love that requires us to keep the commandments of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep the commandments—namely, My commandments.

And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that it may be with you throughout the age: Even the Spirit of the truth,* which the world cannot receive because it perceives it not, nor knows it; but you know it because it dwells with you, and shall be within you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world shall see Me no longer; but you shall see Me. Because I live, you shall live also.

“In that day, you shall know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. The one who has My commandments and is keeping them, that is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him.”

“Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, what has happened that You are about to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. The one who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s, Who sent Me’ ” (John 14:15-24).

Jesus Christ’s selfless love for the brethren, His sheep, is demonstrated by the fact that He willingly laid down His life to redeem and save them. As we know this specific Passover day, for this specific purpose was planned from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Notice how Jesus explained this: “I am the good Shepherd, and I know those who are Mine, and am known of those who are Mine. Just as the Father knows Me, I also know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring those also, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd.

“On account of this, the Father loves Me: because I lay down My life, that I may receive it back again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down and authority to receive it back again. This commandment I received from My Father’ ” (John 10:14-18).

(So that we can all more fully realize the personal suffering that Jesus took upon Himself, when He laid down His life as payment for our sins, we are including the article “Scourging and Crucifixion in Roman Tradition,” by medical doctors, William D. Edwards and Wesley J. Gabel. The medical terminology have been edited by Carol Richtie to make it more understandable.)

There was no greater day of trouble than the day Jesus Christ, who was God manifested in the flesh, laid down His life as the sin offering for His brethren. but His mind was not on the trouble, but on the love of God and the love of His disciples. After conducting the New Covenant Passover service, while on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus continued to instruct the disciples about the love of God as this was the source of the strength He would need to endure the torture and pain of the crucifixion. Notice Jesus instructions to them: “As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; live in My love. If you keep My commandments, you shall live in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and live in His love.

“These things I have spoken to you, in order that My joy may dwell in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends, if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, because the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends because I have made known to you all the things that I have heard from My Father. You yourselves did not choose Me, but I have personally chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go forth and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; so that whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. (John 15:9-17).

The New Covenant Christian Passover is to be observed only by those who are called and chosen now—by repentance, water baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit. There are three aspects of the Passover Ceremony—footwashing, partaking of the broken unleavened bread [symbolizing Jesus’ broken body] and partaking of the wine [symbolizing Jesus’ shed blood for the remission of sins].

So important is the Passover, the eating of the unleavened bread and the partaking of the wine that Jesus makes it clear that you cannot have eternal life in you if you do not do so. Jesus emphasized this fact when He was teaching His disciples: “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me shall never hunger; and the one who believes in Me shall never thirst at any time …. Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the desert, but they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die.

“ ‘I am the living bread, which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is even My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.’ ” Because of this, the Jews were arguing with one another, saying, ‘How is He able to give us His flesh to eat?’

“Therefore, Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day; For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood is dwelling in Me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent Me, and I live by the Father; so also the one who eats Me shall live by Me” (John 6:35, 46-57).

With these instructions of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, May God bless all of you with a loving, and deeply spiritual Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The New Book—Lord, What Should I Do? We are sending to you a copy of the new book Lord, What Should I Do? We are having Unit Packaging Company to process and mail it to you, as they are located only one mile from the printer Thomson-Shore. We are including with it a DVD, which has four of the best Church at Home videos and the video Hymn “The Almighty God.”

We have also placed a full page add in March 21, 2011 edition of The Washington Times advertising Church at Home and a free copy of Lord, What Should I Do? for a $5.00 shipping and handling fee.

As you will see when you receive your copy, this is a tremendous book! It will help anyone who reads it—from those who have been in the Church for years, to those who have never heard of us before. We expect this to be a tremendous tool for reaching new people and helping them to find God in their lives and to use our websites, Church at Home and CBCG.org. so that God may lead them to repentance and baptism.

Brethren, we love you and pray for you daily—in whatever circumstances and situations you are facing. Living in these troublous times, we are thankful for your prayers to God the Father and Jesus Christ for us to help make it possible to accomplish what we need to do—to preach the Gospel and to feed the flock of God. We are truly grateful for your continued support through your tithes and offerings, which goes right back to serving the brethren and those God is calling.

With love in Christ Jesus,

Fred R. Coulter

FRC