THE CONCORDANT BIBLE SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN
Registered charity No: 281860
NEW HOUSE
WOODSIDE STREET
CINDERFORD
GLOS. GL14 2NL
TEL:01594 822776
email address:david.osgood@talktalk.net

Dear friends and believers in Christ,

Greetings to all of you and a peaceful 2015 in expectation of our calling above!

Earlier this year I made a will and a lasting power of attorney. I recently contacted my solicitor as to what would happen if I disappeared and how my will might be administered. After silence and a gulp she asked me what I meant. I therefore told her I was a believer, and unless I died first, then I fully expected to be snatched away from this earth.

She said she would ask her colleagues as she had never been asked this question before. She got back to me several hours later, stating that none of her associates had ever been asked this before, but they had come to a decision. I knew already that when a person goes missing, seven years has to elapse prior to the will being administered. This was confirmed, but as I had made a lasting power of attorney, all my property and possessions could be sold, but the money would have to be held in a bank earning interest for the seven years. She also stated I could enclose a letter to be opened on my death or disappearance, which I have done!

This led me to consider the total confusion that lies within Christendom as to the resurrection, when it occurs, who will be saved and what is the state and destiny of those resurrected. We read in Philippians 3v11 "to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings conforming to His death, if somehow I should be attaining to the out resurrection that is out from among the dead"!

This scripture is the only one in the Greek scriptures that refers to the resurrection that is out from amongst the dead. The context is quite clear that a number are taken out from amongst the dead, and therefore there must be a number that is not numbered, that are left in the death state. The Greek word used here is "ex anastasis" which literally means "out up standing"!

This resurrection is mentioned in 1 Thess 4v16 "where the Lord Himself will be descending from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the Chief Messenger, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall be rising first. It concludes verse 17 by stating that the living shall at the same time be snatched away together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air"! The air is the first layer between the atmosphere and the stratosphere and is undetectable by human eye, plus our Lord comes in spirit! It is a glorious change in our bodies to serve above forever!

This meeting has nothing to do with return of our Lord which time wise has to be at the conclusion of the last heptad of seven years. "His feet shall stand in that day on the mount of Olives (Zechariah 14v4), and this is confirmed in Revelation 1v7 He is coming with clouds, and every eye shall be seeing Him,! See Matt 24v30. This is an event the whole world will witness, and His messengers shall gather the elect from the four corners of the earth. Notice that only the living are given a regenerated body to live on this earth. We have to turn to Daniel to find the moment when the dead saints from all previous time are resurrected. In Daniel 12v11 the Lord has returned at the end of the seven years, two periods of 1260 days, after God's indignation on this earth. Although Daniel never had enlightenment on the different timings of the resurrections, he declares that "happy is he who will tarry and attain to the thousand three hundred and thirty five days! Now you, go on to the end, and you shall rest and stand up for your lot at the end of the days"!

This is the point, seventy five days after the return of the Lord to this earth on the mount of Olives, that Abraham, Moses, David and all the faithful saints shall arise to live on this earth. The Millenium continues for 1000 years, and as it states in Rev20v4 " they live and reign with Christ a thousand years."(The rest of the dead do not live until the thousand years should be finished). This is the former resurrection. This explains fully who is raised and for what period. In verse 11 A great white throne is assembled, and all the rest of the dead are judged outside of Christ's blood. It is a resurrection to judgment not life. They return to the death state until the consummation, which they must be made aware of by Christ in 1Cor 15v24-. Death is abolished! What a merciful God we have, for ultimately none are lost!

HOME FELLOWSHIP

Keith and Sandra Leedham who attended our fellowship this year wish to hold occasional meetings at their home. For any of you that live within travelling distance of their home in Dudley West Midlands, please contact them direct on 01902 685217 where you can discuss future meetings.

U.R. RENEWAL SUBSCRIPTION

The renewal fee for 2015 will remain at £10. It has been reduced to four copies a year, and you can send your subscription to me. For those of you interested, you can go onto the www.concordant.org website, where over 90 volumes of U R's can be read or downloaded.

The address of the Concordant Publishing Concern is: P.O. BOX 449, ALMONT, MICHIGAN 48003 USA.
PLEASE INFORM ME OF ANY ADDRESS CHANGE!

CONCORDANT FELLOWSHIP WEEKEND AT WILLERSLEY CASTLE HOTEL

Around 42 of us enjoyed a very warm fellowship weekend this year! We had a discussion period on the Sunday afternoon after lunch, and the general feeling was that the food was good and it was a very good replacement venue for Bawtry Hall (which we spent 16 years of gatherings at). The rooms were generally good, with most of them having en suite facilities. We were sharing with another small group, which meant that about six of us had to share a room, which I admit most prefer not to do today!

We have located Willersley Castle Hotel in Cromford near Matlock Derbyshire DE4 5JH once again for next years Fellowship weekend, God willing! The price is likely to be £150 per person, but I will be writing to confirm this and send you a booking form around May of 2015. The date that has been selected is the 14th-16th AUGUST 2015.

CONCORDANT LITERATURE.

I have a good stock of most of the current literature, which includes the Concordant version of the Greek scriptures, plus some of the individual copies of the Hebrew scriptures if you do not want them in the five complete format, plus most of the current articles and booklets that we regularly stock. My colleague and brother in Christ Andrew Maclarty has many interesting articles and booklets that complement our mutual teachings, at Grace and Truth,28 Burlington Rd, Sherwood, Nottingham NG5 2GS. The complete Hebrew scriptures has gone to print, and as soon as they are available I will order a batch.

A GENERAL REFLECTION.

The Trustees discussed being in a position to help out with the costs of producing the Concordant complete Hebrew version, which has recently gone to press for printing.

I am pleased to inform you all that in October I transferred £3000 to Michigan for this cause. They have asked me to thank all those that have been supporters of the Society, and for the generosity that many of you have shown in your gifts and offerings.

One of the things that never ceases to amaze believers in this ungodly world, is that the evangel of Grace received and taught by the apostle Paul has revived from time to time during the 2000 years since Paul first proclaimed it through the risen Christ! There have been small flurries of enlightenment during the times of Luther, Wickliffe, Darby and others, but in virtually all these instances there was never a clear cut separation from the evangel given to the twelve that leads to a regenerated life on this earth. This inevitably led to pardon which we know was taught by Peter and the others as a result of our Lord's earthly ministry for the future, dragging down justification in Grace to the same level as pardon, thereby law keeping and works for salvation smothered grace and its majesty over our present administration!

The teaching of Grace was almost extinguished even before Paul left the scene in Rome around the mid 60's AD. The great company of believers that have grasped some aspects of the evangel for today, readily denounce the truths that we are privileged to uphold, and actually become our enemies simply because they wish the cloak of self righteousness that appears in the portion of grace they uphold, to denounce our administration when broached in the light of works playing no part in the grace that has saved us all Eph 2v8-10!

Those who stand by this evangel and Paul's teaching must be prepared for the suffering and shame that comes with upholding it. We shall never have great numbers or be popular in this day of evil, for the adversary has blinded the eyes of most, even when they have a nominal appreciation that Christ is their Saviour. Thank God for His light and evidence that keeps us in the most marvellous expectation of meeting Him soon to confront our real enemies above! (Eph 6v12-)

In His love and service,
David Osgood

NEW HOUSE
WOODSIDE STREET
CINDERFORD
GLOS. GL14 2NL
TEL:01594 822776
email address:david.osgood@talktalk.net
www.concordantbiblesociety.org.uk