Church of God News

Angela Merkel

COGwriter

The Europeans now are stepping forward to try to take the lead in the world’s economic crises.  Notice the following:

European chiefs propose global rules

New Zealand Herald – Feb 24, 2009

BERLIN – European leaders mounted a united front against the global financial crisis yesterday, proposing sweeping new market regulations, but it remained unclear whether economic giants like the United States and China would go along.

Heads of government and finance ministers from Europe’s largest economies joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin to lay the groundwork for a common European position on economic reforms before an April 2 summit of the Group of 20 nations in London.

“Europe will own up to its responsibility in the world,” Merkel said.

Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic agreed to press for sanctions on tax havens, caps for managers’ bonus payments and a stronger role and increased funding for the International Monetary Fund…

During Germany’s turn at the presidency of the Group of Eight two years ago, Merkel pushed hard for more transparency on financial markets and, especially, hedge fund regulation. But her efforts ran into resistance from Washington and London. Even the global crisis and a change of Administration may not be enough to convince the US to hand over its autonomy. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10558318

Regular readers of the COGwriter webpage are aware that we in the Living Church of God have long taught that the Bible teaches that an economic superpower will arise in Europe.

And although most in the world do not recognize it yet, the fact is that the Europeans have been taking steps for years that appear to be designed for Europe to take that role.  The fact that it is somewhat admitting that it intends to set standards for the world’s economic systmes now, shows that once it has more power, it will not hesistate to do this more in the future.

The times are changing and the economic signals indicate a shift from an Anglo-American dominated economic system to more of a European dominated one.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as his timing and at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  This is the longest and most detailed of the articles here at COGwriter related to prophecy and Barack Obama.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled since he is to be the USA president?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?

Comet C/2007 N3, Also Known as Comet Lulin

COGWriter

The following news item was of interest:

Killer Comet’s Heading to Earth

Daily Star, UK – Feb 9, 2009  excerpt…

A DEADLY comet wafting poisonous gas in its trail is heading straight for Earth.

The comet, called the Lulin, is set to blast into our solar system near the end of this month.  An eerie green light in the sky will be visible to the naked eye as it gets closer to its target, our own planet.

Lulin’s green colour comes from the sunlight reflecting off the gases that make up its Jupiter-sized atmosphere.

Jets spewing from the comet’s nucleus contain cyanogen, a poisonous gas found in many comets, and diatomic carbon.

Experts say it is the first time Lulin has made a beeline for us.

But experts reckon Lulin will not actually kill because despite the danger gases, it will still be speeding past earth from a mega 38 million miles away.

The unusual comet is due to be closest on February 24. Star-gazers should make the most of it because it will not be back for a million years.

A Nasa spokesman said: “Dark country skies would be required to see it well.” http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/68995/Killer-comet-s-heading-to-earth/

Now, I do not believe that that Comet N3/Lulin will have a massive impact upon this planet, but the Bible indicates that something from the sky, most probably a comet, will.

Over 1900 years ago, notice what the Apostle John was inspired to write in the Book of Revelation 8:10-11:

Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.  The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

And while that does not have to be a comet, it certainly sounds like one.

Why?

In addition to looking like a star falling from the heavens looking like a torch, the comets appear with cyanogen.  Astronomers state hydrogen cyanide on comets may be their source of cyanogen gas.

Interestingly, the cyanogen gas mixes with water to form hydrogen cyanide, which has an almond odor and bitter taste, and reportedly causes death at concentrations over 5 parts per million.

And thus for Bible skeptics, the fact that before humans had any idea that comets could produce a poisonous bitter water, it is recorded in the Bible. This should be additional proof to those willing to see that the Bible has been inspired by God.

Perhaps those who realize it will then try to live by it.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Bible: Fact or Fiction? This is a booklet written by Douglas Winnail that answers if the Bible is just a collection of myths and legends or the inspired word of God.
Read the Bible Christians should read the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading.
What is the Appropriate Form of Biblical Interpretation? Should the Bible be literally understood? What do the writings of the Bible, Origen, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Augustine show?
Bible and Historical Resources on the Internet Electronic bibles, Two Babylons, early Christian literature, photos, and even links to old Herbert W. Armstrong materials.
Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true?
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know?

Palace of Westminster in London

COGwriter

As I have repeated reported it is not just the USA that is having economic problems.  The German press is also taking note of the United Kingdom:

The Steep Decline of the British Economy

As the global economic crisis takes hold, hardly any other country has seen its fortunes wane as brutally as the United Kingdom. Once a model economy, the country has been overcome by a deep sense of uncertainty.

Spiegel – Feb 23, 2009

It is a gloomy February in Great Britain, yet another month in which the economy is shrinking and the pound is faltering, and yet another month of record growth in unemployment.

It is a month that has seen Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, refer to the current recession as the “worst in 100 years,” and which has witnessed the heads of the country’s largest banks appear on television to apologize to the nation for the harm they have caused.

Meanwhile, Britons are asking themselves how things could have come to this.

Ash Akhtiar, who works for an employment agency in a Birmingham suburb, says that he wants to see someone pay for all of this. David L., a banker who, fearing for his job does not wish to see his name in print, is considering buying a gun to protect his family.

Philip Augar, a financial expert, tries to explain how his country could have become so dependent on banks and loans, while bestselling author Tony Parsons says that the upheaval the United Kingdom is experiencing is as serious as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The current mood in Great Britain is gloomy. Long Europe’s most successful economy, Britain’s fortunes have since plunged more than those of almost any other European country.

Unemployment is rising twice as fast as the European average. Two million people have already lost their jobs, a number that could rise to three million by the end of the year. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the British economy will shrink by 2.8 percent in 2009, the greatest projected decline among the seven largest industrialized nations.

Ironically, for a long time it seemed as if Great Britain had done everything right. Didn’t former Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair bring deep-seated reforms to the country? The British experienced a 16-year economic boom and it seemed as if they had successfully transitioned into a post-industrial, globalized service economy driven by a rapidly growing financial sector.

And now it is precisely those investment bankers who practiced their modern alchemy in the glass towers of the City of London who have plunged the country and the world into the biggest economic crisis since the 1930s. Great Britain was at the root of this worldwide economic downturn and is now especially hard-hit by it. What began 18 months ago as a financial crisis in London and other cities has now taken hold of the entire country.

It began when the British real estate bubble burst, first for residential and then for commercial property. The investment banking sector fell apart at the same time. The country has been in a deep recession since the fourth quarter of last year. Consumption and industrial production are in serious decline, while the value of the British pound has fallen to that of the euro.

Ash Akhtiar is one of the few people working overtime these days in Washwood Heath, a run-down suburb of Birmingham…

More and more people are losing their jobs, and more and more are coming to see Akhtiar. “You can see the desperation in their eyes,” he says. “They realize that things are different now, and that they won’t get new jobs after only a few weeks.”

Unemployment is rising rapidly — by 20 percent between October and December of last year alone — in the West Midlands region surrounding Birmingham, the home of the British auto industry. Hardly any carmakers with plants in the region — Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Honda — are operating at full capacity these days, and hardly any carmaker is still in British hands. Thousands of jobs have been cut, and tens of thousands of workers are working reduced hours or have been furloughed temporarily…

Nothing but Bad News…

But the country’s once-powerful bankers sounded significantly more subdued as they ate humble pie before the Parliament’s Treasury Select Committee in London at the beginning of February. Lord Dennis Stevenson, the former chairman of the HBOS banking and insurance group, told the committee: “Our shareholders, all of us, have lost a great deal of money,” and “We are profoundly, and I think I would say unreservedly, sorry at the turn of events.”…

Aside from its impact on the economy, the process also changed British society. “Great Britain developed from a nation of savers into a society of borrowers,” says Augar, “and from a nation of investors into one of traders, no longer oriented toward long-term profits but interested only in short-term gains.”

…Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, has warned his fellow Britons of difficult times ahead and what may be “the worst recession” since World War II…

British taxpayers have already had to bail out two banks, the Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS. Two mortgage lenders have also been nationalized, and the government, like other governments around the world, is considering a plan to guarantee all toxic securities.

In Great Britain, new borrowing will comprise 9 percent of GDP in the coming year. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, it will take the United Kingdom until 2030 to bring its national debt back to pre-crisis levels. Some are already referring to London as “Reykjavík on the Thames.”

The negative numbers have also weighed heavily on the British pound, which has lost 17 percent of its value as a result of the recession, the currency’s sharpest decline since 1992. Major US investor Jim Rogers warns: “I don’t like to say it, but I wouldn’t invest any more money in Great Britain.”

Instead of being the “sick man of Europe” it was in the 1970s, Great Britain, as the Times predicted, is fast becoming the “sick man of the world.” The country is firmly in the grip of deep uncertainty.

“We have become a ‘fear nation,'” says author Tony Parsons. “Everyone is afraid: the people, the banks, everyone.”

A ’21st Century Dickensian Society’

Parsons, 55, is sitting in the Café Rouge in London’s exclusive Hampstead neighborhood, home to the rich and bohemian alike. More millionaires live in Hampstead than in any other community in the country. Parsons, the author of the bestseller “Man and Boy” and one of these affluent residents, writes about Britain’s prosperous middle class. He is familiar with its soul and is an avid consumer himself, as evidenced by the Prada windbreaker hanging on the back of his chair. But, as he points out, this is the first year he has decided not to buy a new BMW X5.

“What is happening now is like the fall of the Berlin Wall,” says Parsons. “People look at this ideology and realize that it hasn’t worked. We cannot have unregulated capitalism. We cannot tell these people to do as they wish, and hope that a lot of money comes out in the process.” http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,609391,00.html

The UK will not be exempted (though it may try to be) from the great tribulation that will affect the USA and its Anglo-allies.  The UK could benefit from national repentance, but that seems as unlikely as the USA repenting.  Hence, if they do not both repent soon together, they will both relatively soon cease being independent nations together.

Perhaps the most telling quote, which is true of both the US and the UK, in the above article was:

“Great Britain developed from a nation of savers into a society of borrowers,” says Augar, “and from a nation of investors into one of traders, no longer oriented toward long-term profits but interested only in short-term gains.”

But the real reason for the current economic  problem is not bankers.  The real reason is that the Anglo-American nations should have known better than to live farther and farther apart from what is taught in the Bible:

7 And the borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7).

The Bible is clear that debt is a curse that those that do not heed the Bible’s warnings should expect:

43 The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. 45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever.

47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you (Deuteronomy 28:43-48).

Debt is a curse.

But why the Anglo-American nations?

Recall that Jesus taught:

For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more (Luke 12:48).

The Anglo-American peoples truly were given much.  Now, we are getting to the point where much will be required.

Several articles of related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as his timing and at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  This is the longest and most detailed of the articles here at COGwriter related to prophecy and Barack Obama.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled since he is to be the USA president?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

Venezuelan Cristóbal Rojas’ Purgatory Depiction (1890)

COGwriter

Catholic indulgences are popular this year:

Why Catholic Indulgences Are Making a Comeback

TIME – Feb 22, 2009

It sounds too good to be true. Now, for a limited time — the year of St. Paul, to be specific, which ends in June — say a prayer, pop by a designated church and qualify for an indulgence that deducts time from your scorching sojourn in the cleansing fires of purgatory.

Indulgences (no relation here to bubble baths or truffles) have been part of Catholic doctrine since the Crusades. When the Church offered them for sale in the 1500’s — call it mercy for money — religious reformer Martin Luther protested…

The pardons have fallen by the wayside in the past few decades, but they’re being revived in conjunction with a new emphasis on the importance of charity in Christian life. Catholicism, with 67 million followers in the U.S., is big on formulaic repetition of the Hail Mary and Our Father variety. But the Vatican is starting to move away from that and toward, according to the church’s Manual of Indulgences, a “greater zeal for the exercise of charity.”

…At the core of indulgences is sin, which can lead to either eternal punishment… or time spent in purgatory, a place of suffering where imperfections are scrubbed away in preparation for entering heaven. Confession erases eternal punishment, but temporal punishment remains. Plenary, or full, indulgences are the equivalent of a get-out-of-purgatory-free card. Partial indulgences simply shorten your stay…

Indulgences are a handy marketing tool for the Church, a way of encouraging people to amp up their spiritual life. But figuring out exactly what they are and how they work can be confusing. “It brings people who aren’t Catholic up short,” said David Steinmetz, a professor of the history of Christianity at Duke Divinity School.

The rules can confound even believers. William Damkoehler, an actor from Rhode Island, learned about indulgences as a kid in Catholic school. As an adult, he’s bewildered by them. “It seems like the Church is trying to get business back by offering rebates,” he says.

The essence of plenary, or complete, indulgences is tricky to nail down. They’re granted if you meet specific criteria: go to confession, receive communion, pray for the Pope, visit a particular shrine. How do you know you actually got an indulgence? Faith. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1881152,00.html

But while many believe in them, the Bible neither endorse indulgences nor purgatory.

Actually, it never discusses either.

The Catholic Encyclopedia itself admits that early Christians did not teach its current concept of its purgatory doctrine, but that after Augustine abandoned apocatastasis that a later Roman Bishop (Gregory I) brought up purgatorial fires:

Some stress too has been laid upon the objection that the ancient Christians had no clear conception of purgatory…There are several passages in the New Testament that point to a process of purification after death. Thus, Jesus Christ declares (Matthew 12:32): “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come”…(Hanna, Purgatory. The Catholic Encyclopedia).

St. Augustine also argues “that some sinners are not forgiven either in this world or in the next would not be truly said unless there were other [sinners] who, though not forgiven in this world, are forgiven in the world to come” (City of God XXI.24). The same interpretation is given by Gregory the Great (Dial., IV, xxxix). (Hanna, Purgatory. The Catholic Encyclopedia).

St. Gregory recurs to the same thought of the final annihilation of evil, in his “Oratio catechetica”, ch. xxvi; the same comparison of fire which purges gold of its impurities is to be found there; so also shall the power of God purge nature of that which is preternatural, namely, of evil. Such purification will be painful, as is a surgical operation, but the restoration will ultimately be complete. And, when this restoration shall have been accomplished (he eis to archaion apokatastasis ton nyn en kakia keimenon), all creation shall give thanks to God, both the souls which have had no need of purification, and those that shall have needed it (Hanna, Purgatory. The Catholic Encyclopedia).

From the moment, however, that anti-Origenism prevailed, the doctrine of the apokatastasis was definitely abandoned. St. Augustine protests more strongly than any other writer against an error so contrary to the doctrine of the necessity of grace…(Batiffel, Apocatastassis. The Catholic Encyclopedia).

What seems to have happened was once the Church of Rome changed from the original belief of apocatastasis , it came up with purgatory as a substitute belief.

Interestingly, neither the Eastern Orthodox nor the true Church of God ever adopted purgatory, but instead hold to versions of the original doctrine of apocatastasis .  Protestant Reformers, who rightly denounced purgatory, failed to reform their churches enough that they ever truly embraced apocatastasis.

God does have a plan for those who are not saved during this age.  But it is NOT purgatory.

Those interested in learning more should prayerfully study the following articles:

Did the Early Church Teach Purgatory? Is there a place called purgatory? Does God have a plan to help those who did not become saints in this life?
What is Limbo? Is There Such a Place as Limbo? What Happens to Babies When They Die? When did Limbo start being taught? What is the truth about dead babies?
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account?
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the Living Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?

Carnival is Not Endorsed in the Bible

COGwriter

The day before “Ash Wednesday” is sometimes called “fat Tuesday” or Mardi Gras and marks the end of the season known as “carnival” or “carnaval” (which is several days to many weeks long depending upon the culture).  Essentially it is a time of having parties and indulging in practices that Catholics believe that they should give up on Ash Wednesday for the duration of Lent.

Here are two reports about the version in Bolivia:

Devil’s Carnival (La Diablada)

Frommer’s

When:  19 – 23 Feb 2009 (annual), Where: Oruro

Every spring, Oruro goes into carnival mode. The costumes on show are phenomenal and include anything from llama herders to Amazonian Indians sporting feathered head-dresses. The combination of colour, outlandish masks, music, dance and fireworks is bound to leave you wide-eyed.

One of the highlights are the devil dancers, the tradition of which derives from a peculiar kind of devil worship. Oruro is a mining town and the locals, spending so much time underground, decided to adopt a god of the underworld. Christian tradition dictates that this must be the devil and the Oruro faithful thus adopted Satan, or Supay, as their god.

They would perform sacrifices to the devil on a regular basis to ensure their safety in the mines and the devil dancing in the carnival derives from their belief in Satan as their protector underground. http://events.frommers.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=5769

Festivals To Get You Going

FF, UK – Feb 18, 2009

When: The 10 days around Ash Wednesday

Where: Oruro, Bolivia

What: The Oruro Carnival is Bolivia’s largest annual celebration which draws in about 400,000 people every year thanks to it’s extraordinary centrepiece, La Diablada – The Dance Of The Devil.

The 4km long procession takes place on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and features so many entertainers that it can actually last up to 20 hours. The whole debacle follows a brightly costumes San Miguel character, and behind him come the more famous devils and a whole host of other beings.

The chief devil, Lucifer, get’s treated to the best costume, obviously, and swans around in a velvet cape and ornate mask, naturally. The rest of the procession follows and is drenched in jewels and precious metals with offerings for the owner of the underground minerals, El Tio.

When the procession arrives at the city’s football stadium there is a huge performance which shows the battle between good and evil – wow, that must take some dedicated choreographer! After it is apparent that good has triumphed over evil – horary – the dancers can finally head home and put their feet up. The festival continues throughout the week before the grand finale on the Monday after Ash Wednesday, which is known ad the Dia del Agua – the day of water – and involves everyone pelting each other with water bombs.

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/events/Festivals+To+Get+You+Going+Next+Week-7201.html

Celebrations for the devil and/or his plan would seem highly inappropriate for those who profess to follow Jesus.  Jesus did not observe anything like Mardis Gras or Carnaval, nor did His disciples or their real followers.  In the Spring time, they observed days such as Passover and Pentecost; the Bible is clear about this (Luke 2:41-42; 22:7-13; Acts 2:1).

Of course, not only is carnival not in the Bible, neither are Ash Wednesday or Lent (they did not come until centuries after the original apostles died) as none of them are original practices of the true Church.  Nor are any practices of the Living Church of God today (we observe the same days that Jesus and His disciples did, like Passover and Pentecost).

Wikipedia states:

Carnival is a festival traditionally held in Roman Catholic and, to a lesser extent, Eastern Orthodox societies. Protestant areas usually do not have carnival celebrations or have modified traditions, such as the Danish Carnival. The Brazilian Carnaval is the longest celebration today, but many cities and regions worldwide celebrate with large, popular events. These include the Carnevale of Venice, Italy, of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands; of Torres Vedras, Portugal; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Rijeka, Croatia; Barranquilla, Colombia; and Trinidad and Tobago. In the United States, the famous Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, date back to French and Spanish colonial times…

An inspiration for the carnival traditionally was that it marked the last time for celebration and special foods before Lent. The Lenten period was marked by practices of fasting, restricted food, and pious practices. Traditionally, no parties were held and people refrained from eating rich foods, such as meat, and in some cases, dairy, fats and sugar. The forty days of Lent serve to mark an annual time of turning to God and religious discipline.

While it is an integral part of the Christian calendar, parts of the carnival traditions likely reach back to pre-Christian times. The ancient Roman festivals of the Saturnalia and Bacchanalia may have been absorbed in the Italian Carnival. The Saturnalia, in turn, may be based on the Greek Dionysia and Oriental festivals. While medieval pageants and festivals such as Corpus Christi were church-sanctioned celebrations, carnival was also a manifestation of medieval folk culture. Many local carnival customs are based on local pre-Christian rituals, for example the elaborate rites involving masked figures in the Swabian-Alemannic carnival.

Yes, many Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and others will participate in the revelries associated with carnival.  And many will also observe Lent.

Here is some of what the American Catholic reports about it:

Mardi Gras, literally “Fat Tuesday,” has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event…Carnival comes from the Latin words carne vale, meaning “farewell to the flesh.” Like many Catholic holidays and seasonal celebrations, it likely has its roots in pre-Christian traditions based on the seasons. (Catholic Roots of Mardi Gras.  American Catholic.  http://www.americancatholic.org/features/mardigras/)

Essentially, this is a pagan holiday that the Catholics adopted as a compromise to keep members. Participants eat a lot (hence the name “fat Tuesday”) before they begin a fast now called Lent–another observance with pagan origins.  Parades involving under-clothed women are common.

Of course, Mardi Gras festivities are not biblical, despite their popularity.

Lent, which also is not of biblical origin, is becoming an excuse essentially for loud and wild parties all over the world, which stop the night before it.  Which would be tonight.

Mardi Gras tends to be associated with drunkenness, lust, and other practices that the Bible condemns.

It really should not be considered as something that real Christians would participate in.

The practices associated with Mardis Gras and Carnaval have “pre-Christian origins” and are not endorsed in the Bible.  Partially because of their observance, they result in people not understanding God’s plan of salvation for them.

Perhaps those who profess Christ should follow His example and observe the same days that He did in the Spring, such as Passover.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is Lent a Christian Holiday? When did it originate? What about Ash Wednesday? If you observe them, do you know why?
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins?
Melito’s Homily on the Passover This is one of the earliest Christian writings about the Passover. This also includes what Apollinaris wrote on the Passover as well.
Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? What is leaven? This article supplies some biblical answers.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy

COGwriter

Is the world setting itself up for the rise of the Great Monarch of Catholic prophecy, the King of the North, also known as the beast of biblical prophecy?  The following news story indicates that this is a possibility:

Demons of 1968 rise up to spook Sarkozy

The president is spooked as a new extremism hits France

Sunday Times – Feb 22, 2009

Greece:    Police face terrorist threat after wave of student riots

Iceland:    Prime minister resigns after protests

Lithuania: Protesters pelt parliament with stones, 20 injured

Latvia:      Government collapse on Friday blamed on economic turmoil

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5780286.ece

(For more information on the situation in the French Caribbean, see the latest update from LCG.)

Why might riots in France be a sign?

Notice the following Catholic writing:

Civil war breaks out in France and Italy at almost the same time. This is the sign given by many prophets that the Chastisement has begun…

This will spread to general wars, and, famine and pestilence (the usual by-products of war)…

Some Moslems will cause great trouble for the Church and Europe in general…

The Great King will lead his forces to…victory…

The Great King will be crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the reigning Pope.

(Birch, DA. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph: Before During and After Antichrist. Queenship Publishing Company, Goleta (CA), 1996, pp. 553-555)

Furthermore, this chastisement, to a degree, seems to be forecasted by some Catholic writers to begin in France.

Notice the following Catholic private prophecy:

Jeanne le Royer (Sister of the Nativity). The storm began in France, and France shall be the first theatre of its ravages after having been its cradle. (Dupont Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p.59)

The fact that there were riots in Paris in 2005, might eventually be pointed to as “the first theatre of its ravages”, or possibly something that is happening now or that may start in the next few years might be.

Notice the other possibly related Catholic prophecies that involve France or simply Paris itself:

Foretelling the fall of France and England, the famous Jesuit Father Necton, said in 1772, “When England shall wane in power, the destruction of Paris will be near at hand” (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 84).

The Ecstatic of Tours…”The revolution will spread to every French town. Wholesale slaughter will take place. This revolution will last only a few months but it will be frightful; blood will flow everywhere because the malice of the wicked will reach its highest pitch. Victims will be inumerable. Paris will look like a slaughter-house. Persecutions against the Church will be even greater, but it will not last long…

“The French people will ask for the good King, he who was chosen by God. He will come, this saviour whom God has spared for France, this King who is not wanted now because he is dear to God’s Heart. He will ascend to the throne; he will free the church and reassert the Pope’s rights…” (Dupont, p.37)

Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th century). France shall fall into a frightful anarchy. The French shall have a desperate civil war in the course of which even old men will take up arms. The political parties, having exhausted their blood and their rage without being able to arrive at any satisfactory settlement, shall agree at the last extremity to have recourse to the Holy See. Then the Pope shall send to France a special legate…In consequence of the information received, His Holiness himself shall nominate a most Christian King for the government of France. (Dupont, p.45)

St. Caesarius of Arles (469-543): When the entire world, and in a special manner France, and in France more particularly the provinces of the north, of the east, and above all, that of Lorraine and Champagne, shall have been a prey to the greatest miseries and trials, then the provinces shall be succored by a prince who had been exiled in his youth, and who shall recover the crown of the lilies. This prince shall extend his dominion over the entire universe. At the same time there will be a great Pope, who will be most eminent in sanctity and most perfect in every quality. This Pope shall have with him the Great Monarch, a most virtuous man, who shall be a scion of the holy race of the French kings. This Great Monarch will assist the Pope in the reformation of the whole earth. Many princes and nations that are living in error and impiety shall be converted, and an admirable peace shall reign among men during many years, because the wrath of God shall be appeased through their repentance, penance, and good works. There will be one common law, only one faith, one baptism, one religion. All nations shall recognize the Holy See of Rome, and shall pay homage to the Pope. (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Prophets and Our Times. Nihil Obstat: L. Arvin. Imprimatur: Philip G. Scher, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno, November 15, 1941. Reprint 1974, TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp. 126-127).

Hence, many Catholics are awaiting a time when some type of trouble starts in France.

While I do not believe that these Catholic prophecies are inspired by God, the fact is that if there is major civil unrest in Europe, I do believe that the Europeans will rise up and turn to one or more military leaders to deal with this.

And the Bible shows that a military leader (sometimes called the King of the North) will be rising up soon to fulfill the role of the prophesied Beast.  A leader that seems to meet the description of the Great Monarch that various Catholic writers have indicated will arise after riots in France.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Catholic writings indicate this, but what does the Bible show?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

Living Church of God Evangelist Richard Ames with a “Telly” Award for “Tomorrow’s World”

COGwriter

Both the United Church of God and the Living Church of God recently announced responses to their respective television programs.

Here is what was reported in the January 2009 edition of UCG’s United News:

Through November, we have had 29,461 telephone and online responses to the programming. Beyond Today currently airs on 177 cable-access television channels, which air programs 267 times weekly. It is also broadcast on 10 radio stations in the United States and two nationwide cable networks in Canada.

A Team Effort
Our thanks go out to the many people involved in the production of the program, from our faithful studio team to the presenters themselves. It’s
certainly been a group effort! Please continue to pray for the success of this tool, along with all of our public proclamation efforts that announce the good news of God’s Kingdom.

Here is what was reported in LCG’s latest weekly update:

Two weeks ago we aired program #278, “Life After Death?” which offered the Is This the Only Day of Salvation? (ODS) booklet. This program’s ODS-offer not only smashed all previous records, but generated 4,703 responses! This was the third time for program #278 to be aired…

As of today, the Tomorrow’s World telecast in North America has produced a total of more than 30,500 responses in the past seven weeks, which is 20.4% above the same period last year.—Wayne Pyle

The fact that LCG has received as many responses for the first seven week of 2009 as UCG had gotten in total for its television and radio efforts since inception, should show those with “ears to hear” which group God is using to proclaim the good news through television.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from evangelists?
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.
Differences between the Living Church of God and United Church of God This article provides quotes information from the two largest groups which had their origins in WCG as well as commentary.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now basically the Living Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era was predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. Non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.

Brasilia, Brazil

COGwriter

While the Western nations are having problems, some places are continuing to take steps to greatly improve their economic futures.  Notice the following:

Brazil agrees to supply crude oil to China

Associated Press

BRASILIA (AP_ Brazil says it has agreed to supply up to 100 million barrels of crude oil a day to China in a deal that involves a loan of up to $10 billion.

The agreement was announced Thursday after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.

A memorandum of understanding says Brazil’s state-run energy company Petrobras will supply the crude, which will be refined by two Chinese state-owned enterprises, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. and the China National Petroleum Corp.

Local media say Petrobras Brasileiro SA will use the loan to develop deep-water oil reserves recently discovered off the Brazilian coast. But Petrobras Chief Executive, Jose Sergio Gabrielli says the money could be used for other purposes.

(Note: The AP reporter apparently got the quantities too high as other reports state that in addition to the exploration partnership, the deal signed between Petrobras and Sinopec includes the supply of 60,000 to 100,000 barrels of oil per day in the current year.)

China and Brazil are both emerging as nations that are becoming major economic players on the world scene.

China has money and industrial capacity now, and Brazil has resources, as well as industrial capacities of its own.  These nations, despite problems that they have (and will experience) are biblically expected to do much better than the Anglo-American nations during the great tribulation.

While in the past, one would think a nation like the USA would be lending Brazil money, the USA instead has to also borrow money from China.

The era of Anglo-American dominance is not yet over, but is coming to an end.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Mexico, Central America, South America, and Brazil in Prophecy [Español: México, America Central, Suramérica, y el Brasil en profecíal] [Português: México, América Central, Ámérica do Sul, e Brasil na profecia] What will happen to those of Latin America? Will they have prosperity? Will they cooperate with Europe? Will they suffer in the future? What rule might the various Caribbean nations/territories play?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for China? Is it a “King of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

TRANSFORMED FROM TRUTH

COGwriter

In his latest commentary, announced today, WCG’s J. Tkach asked and gave his answer to the following:

Have you ever wondered why the doctrine of the Trinity is so important to Christian faith?…

The fact that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three in one and one in three means that Jesus Christ and the Father are not separate Gods. And that means you don’t ever have to worry about what God thinks about you, how God feels about you, or what is going to happen to you when you die…

We know the Father loves us, because we know from the Bible that Jesus the Son loves us.

That’s why the doctrine of the Trinity is so important. It lets us know exactly where we stand with God the Father, because since the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God, where we stand with Jesus is where we stand with the Father.

I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE.

Huh?

One does not need the explanation of the trinity to understand that how Christians stand with the Father is the same as they stand with the Son and that God loves them.  Also, since the trinity was not accepted by the majority of those who professed Christ until the latter portion of the fourth century, it must not have been an explanation that real Christians ever needed.

The reason that the trinity is important to people like J. Tkach is because he and some of his associates wanted to be accepted by the mainstream churches of the world, nearly all of which have accepted some version of the trinitarian doctrine.

Of course, this was not always the case even among the mainstream.

Into the fourth century, most who professed Christ accepted a binitarian (also known as Semi-Arian) view of the Godhead.  Notice what The Catholic Encyclopedia admits:

Semi-Arians…A name frequently given to the conservative majority in the East in the fourth century…

The “majority” mean most.  “Conservative” means that they were making some attempt to retain a longstanding position.  But, as will be shown later, it was also accepted by at least 400 bishops of the West (and hence it was apparently the majority view of both the East and the West in the middle of the fourth century).

The trinity was adopted in the late fourth century and became important after the Roman Emperor Theodosius decided that it would be.  Theodosius wanted unity within his empire, and to enforce it he persecuted those who did not accept his version of “Christianity” (see Persecutions by Church and State).

Catholics and Orthodox rarely seem to realize it, but the heads of their church until the middle of the fourth century were not clear trinitarians, but supported a binitarian/Semi-Arian position.

Actually notice the following which are from three Catholic-bishop approved writings:

The second Formula of Sirmium (357) stated the doctrine of the Anomoeans, or extreme Arians. Against this the Semi-Arian bishops, assembled at Ancyra, the episcopal city of their leader Basilius, issued a counter formula, asserting that the Son is in all things like the Father, afterwards approved by the Third Synod of Sirmium (358). This formula, though silent on the term “homousios“, consecrated by the Council of Nicaea, was signed by a few orthodox bishops, and probably by Pope Liberius, being, in fact, capable of an orthodox interpretation. The Emperor Constantius cherished at that time the hope of restoring peace between the orthodox and the Semi-Arians by convoking a general council (Benigni, Umberto. “Council of Rimini.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 11 Jul. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13057b.htm>).

Pneumatomachi…The majority of this sect were clearly orthodox on the Consubstantiality of the Son; they had sent a deputation from the Semi-Arian council of Lampsacus (364 A.D.) to Pope Liberius, who after some hesitation acknowledged the soundness of their faith; but with regard to the Third Person, both pope and bishops were satisfied with the phrase: “We believe in the Holy Ghost” (Arendzen, John. “Pneumatomachi.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 11 Jul. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12174a.htm>)

“In the Council of Rimini, 359 A.D…nearly all bishops present, 400 in number” decided “to sign a semi-Arian creed” (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny.  Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus.  Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956.  Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), p. 164).

So at least 400 bishops, including the Bishop of Rome, agreed to a Semi-Arian position in the fourth century.  Since Rimini is in Italy, it should be clear that a majority in the West (and not just the East) also supported binitarianism.

What about the Orthodox?  Notice that even the Orthodox bishop of Constantinople in the fourth century held to some form of Semi-Arian view:

Towards the middle of the fourth century, Macedonius, Bishop of Constantinople, and, after him a number of Semi-Arians, while apparently admitting the Divinity of the Word, denied that of the Holy Ghost (Forget J. Transcribed by W.S. French, Jr. Holy Ghost. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VII. Copyright © 1910 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).

Hence, any who claim that the trinity is somehow essential to Christianity miss the point that even the leaders of the mainstream churches in the fourth century did not hold the trinitarian position to be essential–and actually most did not hold it until the latter portion of that century.

But binitarianism existed from the beginning according to the trinitarian-leaning scholar L. Hurtado:

…the “binitarian” pattern of devotion in which both God (the “Father”) and Jesus are objects of such reverence goes back to the earliest observable stages of the movement that became Christianity…The central place given to Jesus…and…their concern to avoid ditheism by reverencing Jesus rather consistently with reference to “the Father”, combine to shape the proto-orthodox “binitarian” pattern of devotion. Jesus truly is reverenced as divine (Hurtado LW. Lord Jesus Christ, Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity. William B. Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids, 2003, pp. 605,618).

Furthermore, this is consistent with the Bible.  Notice this admission from another trinitarian scholar:

The binitarian formulas are found in Rom. 8:11, 2 Cor. 4:14, Gal. 1:1, Eph. 1:20, 1 Tim 1:2, 1 Pet. 1:21, and 2 John 1:13…No doctrine of the Trinity in the Nicene sense is present in the New Testament…There is no doctrine of the Trinity in the strict sense in the Apostolic Fathers…(Rusch W.G. The Trinitarian Controversy. Fortress Press, Phil., 1980, pp. 2-3).

Thus, the trinity is not important as far as the Bible is concerned, nor was it important enough to the early church.

The trinity became important in the fourth century to those who changed the beliefs and practices of the original church that Jesus founded.

But the true church was not to change doctrine (Jude 3) nor be carried away by doctrinal changes (Hebrews 13:8-9).

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus is God, But Was Made Man Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a shorter article than the Binitarian View article, but has a little more information on binitarianism.
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

Pope Benedict XVI

COGwriter

This week the Roman Catholic Benedict XVI praised an Englishman named Bede and called for others to rise up and provide his version of Christian unity:

Pontiff Lauds a Maker of Christian Europe

Considers Contribution of Venerable Bede

Thus, the Pope is waiting for leaders to rise up to unite behind a religion in Europe.  Bible prophecy warns of a time when the world will all worship a beast power that rises up there (Europa, the Beast, and Revelation).

What most do not realize is that when Bede worked on the calculation of “Easter“, Bede’s writings actually contain admissions that the Apostle John kept Passover on the 14th and not on a Sunday like the Roman Catholics do (early Christians clearly kept Passover on the 14th, but because of cowardice in the face of imperial persecution they switched the observance to Sunday, the name pagan name Easter was added to it in languages such as English, but most other languages still refer to what in English is termed as Easter as some version of the words Pascha or Passover).

Now let’s notice something about Bede, Easter, and Passover from The Catholic Encyclopedia:

Easter…The English term, according to the Ven. Bede (De temporum ratione, I, v), relates to Estre, a Teutonic goddess of the rising light of day and spring…The connection between the Jewish and the Christian Pasch explains the movable character of this feast…Since Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, had been slain on the very day when the Jews, in celebration of their Passover, immolated the figurative lamb, the Jewish Christians in the Orient followed the Jewish method…For this observance they claimed the authority of St. John and St. Philip (Holweck F. G. Transcribed by John Wagner and Michael T. Barrett. Easter. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume V. Copyright © 1909 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, May 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York).

Notice what Bede’s writings (specifically from the book that Benedict XVI mentioned) admit:

Far be it from me to charge John with foolishness: he literally observed the decrees of the Mosaic law when the Church was still Jewish in many respects, at a time when the apostles were unable to bring a sudden end to that law which God ordained…They feared, of course, that they might make a stumbling block for the Jewish proselytes…So John, in accordance with the custom of the law, began the celebration of Easter Day in the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month, regardless of whether it fell on the sabbath or any other day. (Bede (Monk). Edited by Judith McClure and Roger Collins. The Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Oxford University Press, NY, 1999).

Since it is even admitted that the Apostle John, the last of the original apostles to die, observed Passover on the 14th, then it should be clear to everyone who observes Easter on a instead of Passover on the 14th, that those who observe have changed!

Yet the Bible teaches,

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines (Hebrews 13:8-9).

Is not changing the date of Passover to a Sunday holiday named Easter after a pagan goddess the type of strange doctrine that the Bible warned against?

Furthermore, notice that the Apostle John specifically warned about those who changed and did not continue in his practices:

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us (1 John 2:18-19).

So what may have been the first specific departure from the practices of John that we have a historical record of (involving John’s name)?

The changing of the date of Passover!

Would then, the changing of Passover be one of the doctrines of Antichrist?  Is that not what the uniting of Europe under the name of compromising “Christianity” bringing about–the rise of Antichrist?

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? What do scholars and the Bible reveal?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet”. Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?