BULLETIN

 

THE WORD OF TRUTH MINISTRY

228 NORTH EL MOLINO AVENUE
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91101-1675

www.seedandbread.org

 

Otis Q. Sellers, Founder                                                             David R. Hettema, Director

Volume 3, No. 4                      Jane Sellers Hancock, Editor                      February 2011

 

THOUGHTS FROM THE EDITOR

Jane S. Hancock

On three consecutive Sundays at our Bible class we move the chairs into a circle and read out loud Sorting Prophetic Material by Otis Q. Sellers, interrupting the reading to look up Scriptures cited, to ask questions, to clarify. How profitable this discussion is!

In this 1952 pamphlet, Otis Q. Sellers takes the readers through his process of “sorting prophetic material,” a phrase he credits to Francis Bacon. But Paul also told us to “rightly divide the word of truth.” So Sellers starts with a time far in the future, the New Heavens and New Earth, and works backwards, making sure he sorts every event correctly. As he says, “To have assigned one prophecy to the wrong time is a violation of this precept.”

His example concerning sorting is from the hardware store—sorting nails. A different bin or box is needed for each kind and size; otherwise all the nails will be dumped into the same box and what a mess that would be.

So he starts with four boxes. In one he puts all the unfulfilled prophesies that seem to belong in the New Heavens and New Earth. See Revelation 21:1-4.

He labels another box “the thousand years,” also called the Millennium. This is the time of the reign of Christ on earth. See Revelation 20:1-3.

His next question is what to do with the event predicted in Revelation 20:7-9, the Little Season. Careful reading suggests that it doesn’t belong in either the Millennium or the New Heavens and New Earth time periods but comes between them. We need a new box for the time period when Satan is “loosed out of his prison.” So now we have three major time periods:  the Millennium, the Little Season, and the New Heavens and New Earth.

However, we have events left over. Where do they go? As we sit in the circle and read Sellers’ words, it is like knowing the end of the mystery before we get there. It is fascinating, however, to see how OQS helped his readers work through it back in 1951. So we now add a box, a box called Daniel’s Seventieth Week, a seven-year-time period also called the Great Tribulation. See Matthew 24:16-20.

And just like reading a mystery, we are eager for him to finally tell us about the Kingdom of God, the next great event in the scheme of things. We know it is coming; we know it’s a time period that comes before the Thousand Years, before the New Heavens and New Earth. We know the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel are filled with predictions of divine blessings which must be fulfilled before the Millennium. We know the whole Bible is filled with predictions of a time that is characterized by the blessings of God and that the four time periods we have already listed are not enough. Enter the Kingdom of God, the period called in the Old Testament “the last days” and in the New Testament “the kingdom of the heavens.” Sellers says in this booklet, “in summing up the Old Testament message concerning the kingdom of God, we find that in it His government over mankind is predicted. ‘The kingdom is prophesied’ can be written over the whole of it.”

In the 33 years that the Lord was upon the earth, the Gospel Period, the simple proclamation was, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand.”

In the 33 years of the Acts Period, we see the preliminary stages of the Kingdom of God. So what happened? Acts 28:28 happened.

Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles (nations), and that they will hear it.

Sellers describes in this article the character of the Kingdom:  1.  Reversing the declaration of Acts 28:28, Israel will again be in direct contact with God’s channel of blessing;  2.  The Spirit will be poured out upon Israel from on high;  3.  God will bring Israel out of the nations and plead with them face to face;  4.  They rebuild their temple;  5.  God pours out of His spirit upon all flesh;  6.  God’s judgments will be established in the earth;  7.  The righteous dead will be raised progressively and in order;  8.  Longevity will be restored; death will be overcome;  9.  The flow of sin will be stopped.

He ends his booklet with these words:  “The day is going to come when God’s government is going to reach out to reclaim the earth and bring it into subjection to Christ. As His light comes in, darkness must flee. Error must yield to truth. Sin must give way to righteousness. Sickness will be replaced by health. Human government will be replaced by heaven’s government. Men must submit to God. Man’s day will be superseded by the day of Christ. Then He will see the travail of His soul and be satisfied. May God speed the day.”

This is a brief summary of Sorting Prophetic Material by Otis Q. Sellers. The pamphlet is available digitally and if you have an e-mail address, we can send it to you. Although we have plans to reprint it, we have not yet done so. If you want a hard copy, we can send you a printout of the digital version. Just write to us at the address above. You will find Sorting Prophetic Material a great tool for teaching and for understanding the order of things to come.

 


FROM THE DIRECTOR

David R. Hettema

Sorting Prophetic Material, a fifty-four-year old booklet written by Otis Q. Sellers is presently out of print (meaning that there are no booklets in stock to mail out from The Word of Truth inventory). The Bible Class in Pasadena has been reading and critically studying copies of this booklet over a period of weeks in preparation for reprinting the booklet for a new distribution. Many of those participating in the critical study expressed amazement concerning Mr. Sellers’ accuracy and correctness of the Scriptures at the date this booklet was written. The truth and order of events still stands today as shown in the booklet. I can remember reading the booklet back in the early 1950s when I first began seeing the truth of the Kingdom of God. This booklet convinced me that Otis was truthfully teaching God’s Word regarding the coming Government of God to this earth. We are eager to reprint the booklet and again distribute it widely.

The Charts of the Kingdom

In later years, Mr. Sellers determined to graphically display the order of events—past, present, and future—from the written Word of God. This became a chart that chronologically started with Old Testament times, then the Gospels and Acts Period, introducing the coming Kingdom of God. However, at the close of the Acts Period, the Kingdom was put into abeyance until the present Dispensation of Grace has run its course. The Kingdom as revealed covers a period of about 1,500 years, ending with the introduction of the New Heavens and New Earth.

When Mr. Sellers was producing the chart, it was a joyous privilege and a real honor for this D
irector to work with Otis at his request. The completed charts were printed in several sizes and layouts and were distributed through our mailing list and from a small supply always maintained for additional requests.

At the present time, we are in the process of making a new version of the chart. It retains the same order of events, but also displays the 70 weeks of years (a total of 490 years) that God’s returned and redeemed people Israel must go through. This is the special week of just “seven years,” when the leaders of Israel and the Prince that will come, will confirm together a peace agreement of seven-year’s duration. This covenant is broken at the middle of the week, at the three-and-one-half-year’s point. The daily sacrifice is forcefully stopped, and the Temple is desecrated. Instead of peace, now all the tribes of Israel come under extreme pressure. Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, is invaded and many other nations join with the enemies of Israel to destroy God’s people and retake the land that God has given to His people, Israel.

All of these events will be indicated in their proper times on the chart. Also, the Scriptures, revealing their truths, will be cited.

My hope, prayers and desire is to see a resurgence of truth concerning God’s coming Government and the impact that it will have upon the nations of the Earth and their people. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 says:  I charge thee therefore before God, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom; preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

 


Bible Study Audio Disks

By Otis Q. Sellers, Bible Teacher

The entire Tape Library (TL) series, consisting of numbers TL-001 to TL-570, is available on MP3 compact disks. A complete subjects list may be obtained from our Web site, www.seedandbread.org, or the home office in Pasadena, CA, or writing/e-mailing:

The Word of Truth Ministry
Mrs. Gwen Staiger
121 Wood Oak Dr., Joshua, TX 76058
E-mail:      gsrecorder@sbcglobal.net

 


LETTER FROM THE NEW OFFICE MANAGER,
RUSTY HANCOCK

Dear Friends:

My name is Rusty Hancock, and I would like to introduce myself to the supporters of The Word of Truth Ministry. I am the grandson of Otis and Mildred Sellers. As a teenager in the mid 70s, I would help my Grandpa in the mailroom of The Word of Truth Ministry. This continued until I entered the Police Academy. That was 30 years ago. During that time I was married to my beautiful wife, Kathie. (It was the last wedding ceremony that Grandpa ever performed.) I’ve raised three wonderful sons; two are in college and the third will be in college next fall. And, I recently retired from the Glendale Police Department this past October.

I am now back with The Word of Truth Ministry. I have taken on the responsibilities of Office Manager, alleviating David Hettema of this task so he can spend more time to further his studies and teach our Sunday Bible class.

One of my first projects is to assist a follower of OQS in the distribution of a manuscript that he has written. Dr. Harold R. Booher has written a manuscript titled, “Christianity’s Lost Dispensations.” We hoped to originally publish it as a book, but the lengthy process and cost involved made it difficult. Instead, we have decided to duplicate the manuscript on a CD and mail it out with one of our Bulletins in the near future.

I know that not everyone owns a computer and some may have difficulty accessing the CD. I apologize for that inconvenience; however this is the best method to get the manuscript in the hands of those who would value it most—the supporters of The Word of Truth Ministry. Hopefully a friend, or a family member, can assist those without computers in reading the manuscript.

Enclosed in this Bulletin is a short descriptor of the manuscript with the purpose and information about the author, Dr. Harold Booher.

Besides the numerous books, booklets and leaflets published by The Word of Truth Ministry, there is another author that has published two books that have the support of the Ministry. Mr. Louis J. Tonetti has written two books, titled “The Kingdom of God 101: A Primer” and “The Seven Pillars of Death.” Both of these books can be purchased through www.amazon.com, as the Ministry does not stock these.

Sincerely,

Rusty Hancock

 


THE INTERNET CORNER

By Bob Hammond

Advance Christmas Sale—was very successful in terms of getting our Ministry work out to our readers. We thank all who participated and hope the materials will be of assistance in your own studies of His Word.

We sent out digital copies of Otis Q. Sellers’ study on “Sorting Prophetic Material” (see article by Jane S. Hancock on Page 1) to over 100 people on our Word of Truth e-mail list. If you would like to be added to that list, just drop us a line at wordoftruth@earthlink.net, and we’ll send you a free copy of this study. We have also added this study to our compact disk of Sellers’ 32 (now 33) full-length Special Studies. A big “thanks” goes to Nathan Johnson who found this missing booklet and digitized it for us!

I have received a few e-mails back from Dameon, the electronic dead-letter office, telling me of those who have changed e-mail addresses, and forgot to let us know. If you know you were on our list and didn’t receive this study noted above, please send me your new e-mail address. All addresses are confidential. I’ll send you the study, too.

We are still experiencing difficulties with the “checkout” section of our Internet site, www.seedandbread.org. The problem appears to deal with trying to accommodate orders which may be paid for via PayPal, and then going back and clearing the particular order for download directly to the person’s computer. It’s a lot of “talking” back and forth with PayPal, and appears it’s a bit too complicated. And, there hasn’t been much call for this capability anyway. We are thinking of just allowing people to order materials they’d like downloaded via PayPal, and then we would send the download directly from here. If you’ve got other thoughts or ideas, I’d be glad to hear them. There’s nothing quite like putting the human back into the loop, eh?

We like hearing from you. Try to keep in touch with your e-mails or letters. We really thank you and appreciate receiving the regular correspondences and gracious support from many of you and ask that you please keep them coming. Happy New Year to you all!


The Dutch Lachai-Roi Web Site

Read Seed & Bread and One-A-Day in Dutch on the European Web site: www.lachairoi.org. Johan Hensen and his son, Arnoud, translated these particular Otis Q. Sellers’ publications because they appreciated his independent studies, finding answers to unsolved problems.

 


 

BOOK/CD REVIEW ON DR. HAROLD BOOHER’S

CHRISTIANITY’S LOST DISPENSATIONS

< strong>Purpose

The purpose of Christianity’s Lost Dispensations is to identify and describe two missing dispensations from most Christian discussions. These “lost” dispensations are the current era—“the dispensation of grace” and a future manifest Kingdom of God on earth that comes before the millennium. Otis Q. Sellers discovered these missing dispensations years ago and taught them through The Word of Truth Ministry. They are yet to be found by most Christians. What is unique about this book is the independent scientific and systems approach taken by the author to place Mr. Sellers’ discoveries in a scholarly context. The scientific/philosophical concept commonly accepted by scholars on topics which cannot be demonstrated experimentally is one where all proposed potential answers to a large number of questions are considered and the gradual elimination of the weaker answers is pursued until the “best” solution remains. For example when the author applied this method to the Kingdom of God, he independently found that when all possible solutions to the Kingdom were pursued, all could be eliminated except the one that Mr. Sellers had found on his own.

A secondary purpose is to use the lost dispensations in answering a number of questions not well answered by most Christian literature. One of these questions is why is God so silent during this current era compared to His signs, wonders, and miracles that teemed during the Acts Period. The fact the lost dispensations are omitted or described erroneously in most Christian discussions accounts for the general lack of a good Biblical response to the questions raised in the book.

Christianity’s Lost Dispensations is a comprehensive coverage of much of Mr. Sellers’ studies and teachings in a context of modern science, systems, analysis and communication theory. It essentially is an independent proof of Mr. Sellers’ original findings using the credibility of modern scholarship.

Reviews

Several readers from The Word of Truth Ministry, including David Hettema and Ralph Luther, have read the book and believe it independently and fairly handles the teachings of the Ministry. Further scholars, outside The Word of Truth Ministry, have also read the book and report favorably on its scholarship and readability. The Writer’s Edge states, “Your fine work . . . is lucid and scholarly. We appreciate the way you have brought all your scholarship and experience to bear on God’s Word and your subject.”

Author

Harold R. Booher, Ph.D., is a writer and consultant on current issues in science and technology and holds degrees in psychology, human factors and engineering. Having a long career of public service, Dr. Booher is recognized internationally for contributions to public health, safety and human systems integration. Dr. Booher is a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and has received the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, one of the U.S. Federal Government’s highest awards. His avocation for the past 40 years is studying and writing on the interaction of science and philosophy on theology. His book, Origins, Icons, and Illusions, revealed the numerous problems with evolution showing scientific beliefs in evolution are more philosophy than science and that scientific rigor is not dependent on what the scientist’s philosophical or religious faith is. Dr. Booher has also been a life-long Bible student and writer on theological issues having written numerous articles and booklets on Christianity, including a Chronology of the New Testament Gospels.

Dr. Booher has been a follower of Mr. Sellers’ teachings for more than 50 years, has read and understands his works. With this current book, Dr. Booher has combined his professional expertise in science and systems analysis with his experience in Bible study and Mr. Sellers’ teachings to answer six questions that Christianity does not answer well, such as “Why is God so silent?” and “What, where and when is the Kingdom of God?”


 

Seed & Bread Volumes 1 & 2

 

Would you like to read along with the Seed & Bread references given in Joanne Johnson’s or Jane Hancock’s articles? Here’s a chance to purchase the whole lot of the Seed & Bread articles in both volumes in hard cover or soft cover editions, called Seed & Bread Volumes 1 and/or 2. These two volumes are printed in large type and are easy on the eyes! The price for the soft-cover volumes is $19. The cost of the hard-cover volumes is $25 each volume. For shipping and handling, please add $3 for orders up to $30 and 10% for orders over $30. Kindly make out checks or money orders in U.S. dollars to The Word of Truth Ministry and mail to 228 N. El Molino Ave., Pasadena CA 91101-1675. Please allow 3-6 weeks delivery time for small orders (or more time for large orders).

 


BIBLE STUDY SATELLITE GROUP LOCATIONS

In Southern California  (Los Angeles Area):

The Word of Truth Ministry, 228 N. El Molino Ave., Pasadena; Sundays from 10:45 a.m. to 12 p.m.  Mr. David Hettema presides; Dr. Milton Hammond alternates.  Hettema may be reached at (626) 794-0819. Hymn “sing-a-long” before service. “We continue studies based upon the Biblical records of our Bible, and written/spoken words of the late Otis Q. Sellers.”

In New York  (New York City Area):

The Chelsea Studios, 151 West 26th Street (Room No. 609), New York City, the last Sunday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m.  Mr. Luis Casillas, moderator. Contact Mr. Mike Steele by e-mail: quickby@juno.com. “We use O.Q. Sellers’ Seed & Bread leaflets (found on  www.seedandbread.org) as a guide for our discussions.”

In New York:

Endicott, No regular schedules. Contact Mr. Robert Briggs at (607) 748-4870 for information.

In New Jersey:

430 Boulevard Ave., Pitman,  Mondays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.  Mr. Sam Marrone presides as host and may be reached at (856) 589-6256 or by e-mail at andthewordwasgod@hotmail.com. Marrone notes, “Bring your Bible and a hunger for the Word.”

In Texas  (Houston Area):

5847 Chinaberry Drive, Houston,  Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 or 1 p.m.  Mr. and Mrs. Don Black are hosts and may be contacted at (713) 462-2250. “We usually listen and study one of Otis Sellers’ tapes.”

In Minnesota (St. Paul Area):

622 Selby Ave. (Room above Mississippi Market Food Co-op), St. Paul, Every other Friday, 6 p.m.  Mr. Nathan C. Johnson presides and may be reached at (651) 737-0144 (work). Johnson encourages: “Please contact me, and come enjoy your time around God’s Word with our group.”

In Oregon:

Portland, No regular schedules. Contact Mr. Bob English at (503) 357-8449 for information.


 

WE GET LETTERS

“Thank you for all the work you all do in proclaiming God’s coming Kingdom and His Deity. We must stay grounded in the Word and our Lord and Savior. It is a privilege to believe in these times without sight and signs. It’s so easy to get caught up in the cares of this world. Looking for peace and happiness. The only true peace comes through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

 

“Thank you for sharing your thoughts about Gog and Magog in the bulletin of August 2010. Like you, I thought that Ezek. 38 and 39 were dealing with the tribulation, but it is also possible that a small revolt may take place at the beginning of the Kingdom. I agree with Brother Dave Hettema that men will openly test Jesus Christ’s right to rule and to d
o as they please. But the picture that Ezek. 38 and 39 give us is that Jesus Christ will magnify Himself as Jehovah over all opposition. May God speed that day.”

 

“Enclosed is my contribution for spreading the rightly divided gospel of Christ. . . . I remember one other time when my husband and I met Otis. It was out 25th anniversary (we made 35 more) and he said, ‘I’m glad to see that I tied that knot right. I haven’t always done that.’ He had a good sense of humor as well as an extraordinary knowledge of God’s Word.”

 

“I recently received your newsletter and booklet, ‘The Study of Human Destiny.’ I enjoyed it very much. I have recently gotten a computer and am excited to be able to access your website in the comfort of my home. God bless you all and thank you for contributing to my search to seek truth from God’s Word.”

 


WHAT DOES TA PANTA MEAN?

By Joanne L.H. Johnson

So many people have been falsely led to believe that “all is out of God” and they also believe that God is the author of predestination—that everything was and is “predetermined” by God. But, shown by the Scriptural examples forthcoming, nothing could be further from the truth.

Is All Out of God? Does God Determine Everything? (What Does Ta Panta Mean?) (available upon request), written by Otis Q. Sellers in 1954, is an excellent treatise, comparing the contexts of Scripture in the New Testament, and is where one finds out what the phrase ta panta means in various passages. Some of these passages were singled out from the booklet and interpreted in their contexts in Seed & Bread No. 98, What Does “Ta Panta” Mean?

In the Seed & Bread, Sellers explains the meaning of ta panta: “…We can say that

[the Greek phrase] ta panta is a demonstrative expression, idiomatic in character, referring back to something which has just been said or pointing forward to something about to be mentioned. By ‘demonstrative’ I mean serving to point out or identify, and by ‘idiomatic’ I mean an expression that is peculiar to itself in grammatical construction, the meaning of which cannot be derived from the conjoined meaning of its elements. It can be best rendered in English by using ‘all this’ or ‘all these’ depending upon whether in the subject requires a singular or plural construction [in the Greek]. It always points to what it set forth in the context. This can be seen in every passage where it is found.”

Let’s examine some of these interesting passages sequentially found in the Seed & Bread to find how ta panta is translated by Sellers:

“Mark 4:11. In the first occurrence it has been translated correctly—‘all these things (ta panta) are done in parables.’

“Rom. 8:32. This should read ‘with Him also freely give us all these’ (ta panta), referring to the various blessings set forth in the context.

“Rom. 11:36. ‘For out of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all these’ (ta panta), pointing to the works and ways of God set forth in chapters 9, 10, and 11. I refuse to divorce this statement from its subject matter.

“1 Cor. 8:6. This should read: ‘Nevertheless, to us there is one God, the Father, out of whom is all this (ta panta) and we for Him even one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom is all this (ta panta), and we through Him.’ The reference is to the position and the knowledge of the Corinthian believers. All this was out of God, the Father.”

Sellers further suggests the following translation: “Eph.1:11. I would translate the final part of this passage ‘according to the purpose of the One who is executing all this (ta panta) according to the counsel of His own will.’ This is the passage which is constantly used as the supreme proof text by those who insist that everything that has ever happened in the history of the universe has been determined in advance by God. Scripture denies this and this passage does not declare it. It has to do with the present operations of God. Men of good will who read these lines should pause and give thanks to God that they no longer need to believe an erroneous translation that makes the awful, ugly, realities of life to be out of God.”

This great information was found at the end of the booklet, Is All Out of God? Does God Determine Everything? (What Does “Ta Panta” Mean?). Sellers describes by using a passage out of Scripture how men are tempted, but that God cannot tempt any man and that all is NOT God’s will in the following: “I have refrained from going into many positive arguments which show that all is not out of God. I have chosen to deal with the passages which men use to prove that everything that happens is God’s will—that all is out of Him. Those who hold this doctrine must recognize that if we can show from the Word even one thing which is not out of God, then everything cannot be out of Him. James 1:12-15 is an example of this. We are told: ‘Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death.’ There are two positive facts revealed in this passage. The first is that men are tempted, the second is that God does not tempt any man [only Satan does]. In this passage we find the origin of all human sins. They do not originate in God.”

Let us be found ever looking forward to finding the truth of God’s Word.

 


“Blessed (happy) is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful (ones). But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His Law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff (residue from wheat beaten out) which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment (Kingdom), nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”                                    Psalm 1:1-6, NKJV