Church of God News

Artist Depiction of Pentecost (Cadetgray)

COGwriter

The Day of Pentecost for 2013 is approaching, and is May 19 in 2013. Unlike other biblical holy days, some version of the Day of Pentecost is observed by a lot of mainstream churches, both Catholic and Protestant. And of course, since Pentecost is a biblical holy day, it is observed by Church of God groups like the Continuing Church of God. Pentecost is the day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in the shape of fire (Acts 2:3-4).

Most groups that profess Christ consider that Pentecost marked the formal beginning of the New Testament church.

The term Pentecost is a Greek term meaning 50th. That term is derived from the following Hebrew description of calculating the date:

And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath (Leviticus 23:15-16).

Early Christians believed that they were supposed to observe Pentecost. And they probably understood this from the Bible and the practices of the early apostles.

For example, the Apostle Paul continued to keep Pentecost decades after the Pentecost mentioned in the second chapter of the Book of Acts. Notice what he wrote, about 56 A.D.:

For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits. But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost (1 Corinthians 16:8).

This shows that Paul knew when Pentecost was, that he felt that the Corinthians must know when Pentecost was, and that the Ephesians would have known when Pentecost was. Thus, it apparently was being observed by Paul and the Gentiles in Ephesus and Corinth.

In another year, the Apostle Paul also wished to be in Jerusalem for Pentecost, around 60 A.D.:

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 20:16).

Thus, Christians in Jerusalem were still observing Pentecost and Paul was observing it too. Otherwise, there would be no obvious reason why Paul wanted to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

This was clearly understood by second century writers such as Irenaeus who wrote (circa 180):

Paul taught with simplicity what he knew, not only to those who were [employed] with him, but to those that heard him, he does himself make manifest. For when the bishops and presbyters who came from Ephesus and the other cities adjoining had assembled in Miletus, since he was himself hastening to Jerusalem to observe Pentecost (Irenaeus. Adversus haereses, Book III, Chapter 14, Verse 2). Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

An old document that was probably altered in the 4th century, titled The Life of Polycarp, specifically mentions the Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost. And it records that the Apostle Paul said that they should be kept:

In the days of unleavened bread Paul, coming down from Galatia, arrived in Asia, considering the repose among the faithful in Smyrna to be a great refreshment in Christ Jesus after his severe toil, and intending afterwards to depart to Jerusalem. So in Smyrna he went to visit Strataeas, who had been his hearer in Pamphylia, being a son of Eunice the daughter of Lois. These are they of whom he makes mention when writing to Timothy, saying; Of the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and in thy mother Eunice; whence we find that Strataeas was a brother of Timothy. Paul then, entering his house and gathering together the faithful there, speaks to them concerning the Passover and the Pentecost, reminding them of the New Covenant of the offering of bread and the cup; how that they ought most assuredly to celebrate it during the days of unleavened bread, but to hold fast the new mystery of the Passion and Resurrection. For here the Apostle plainly teaches that we ought neither to keep it outside the season of unleavened bread, as the heretics do, especially the Phrygians…but named the days of unleavened bread, the Passover, and the Pentecost, thus ratifying the Gospel (Pionius. Life of Polycarp, Chapter 2. Translated by J. B. Lightfoot, The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 3.2, 1889, pp.488-506).

Notice that Paul is shown to have taught Gentiles to keep the biblical Holy Days, including Pentecost. Polycarp, himself, was a faithful early Christian leader who was apparently ordained by the Apostle John and was believed to be a Gentile.

Since the Apostle Paul and other faithful Christians kept Pentecost, shouldn’t you?

Two More Things: Spanish Language Article and Ronald Weinland:

Two more items to mention are that there is now a translation of into Pentecost: Is it more than Acts 2?  into Spanish/español that I was able to upload a few hours ago: Pentecostés: ¿Es más que Hechos 2?.  As I do not write or speak Spanish, it has been great to have one volunteer to assist in this way.

Something, indirectly related to Pentecost that is both new and old is that Ronald Weinland of the Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God continues to teach that Jesus will return on Pentecost.  He, who claims that he and his wife are the two witnesses, taught Jesus would return last Pentecost, and he still is teaching for this year.  Here is some from his latest post (4/16/13):

We know and believe that we are now nearing the very last phase of this end-time. We believe we are about to witness man’s last war   World War III…the world is about to plunge into WW III…

I know what I have witnessed, and that witness is from God, and it is true.

Ronald Weinland has made many false predictions, his witness does not come from God, and it is often not true.  Nor is it possible that “World War III” will soon start and be over by Pentecost 2013.

Here is some of what he posted on February 21, 2013:

It should move you to the core of your being to grasp a further revelation God has given concerning how He is fulfilling His prophetic word through this final end-time. The witness God established during the 1260 days led directly into God’s last prophetic day which is from Pentecost of 2012 to Pentecost of 2013 as the Day of the Eternal, the “day” of God’s end-time judgment upon mankind.

The above witness is false.  The Day of the Lord did not begin on Pentecost 2012 and Jesus is not returning on Pentecost in 2013.

But that does not mean that you should not observe the Day of Pentecost, which will be May 19, 2013. (The actual observation begins the evening before at sunset on May 18th and runs through sunset May 19th.)

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Pentecost: Is it more than Acts 2? Many “Christians” somewhat observe Pentecost. Do they know what it means? It is also called the Feast of Harvest, the Feast of Weeks, and the day of firstfruits. What about “speaking in tongues” and led by the Holy Spirit? (Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Pentecostés: ¿Es más que Hechos 2?)
Pentecost Quiz This is a Pentecost quiz based upon the Old and New Testaments in the Bible.
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.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2017, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂
Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up, that the Great Tribulation began on December 14, 2008, that Jesus would return on May 27, 2012, and then claimed that Jesus would return on May 19, 2013 (he originally had Jesus returning on September 28/29 2011). Why does the Bible show that Ron Weinland is a false prophet? Why do Ronald Weinland’s own statements prove that he is a false prophet? Additionally, he has other views which show he is not truly part of the Church of God.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? What does the New Testament actually teach on this subject? There is also a YouTube video about this which is also titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God .
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
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?

COGwriter

North Korea has announced that it will not warn before it attacks South Korea:

16 April 2013

North Korea says it won’t warn South Korea before an attack

(CNN) — North Korea is raising the temperature on its neighbors, saying in its latest threat that it would not give any warning before any attack on South Korea.

“Our retaliatory action will start without any notice from now,” Pyongyang said in a statement published Tuesday by its official news agency, KCNA.  http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/16/world/asia/koreas-tensions/index.html

This may also mean that it would not warn the USA before an attack.

US President Barack Obama declared that the USA was prepared for dealing all contingencies in dealing with North Korea:

President Obama says U.S. officials don’t believe North Korea can deliver a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile, but aren’t taking anything for granted.

Asked on NBC’s Today show about the prospect of a North Korean nuclear missile, Obama said: “You know, based on our current intelligence assessments, we do not think that they have that capacity. But, you know, we have to make sure that we are dealing with every contingency out there.  http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2013/04/16/obama-north-korea-today-show/2087417/

Some contingencies would not be able to be dealt with well.

A few weeks ago during a radio interview, I discussed my view that the USA is vulnerable to terrorist attacks from North Korea, such as detonating a small nuclear bomb or “dirty bomb” (a conventional type of explosion with radioactive materials added to it), or an emp-bomb attack.

Since then, World News Daily reported the following:

North Korean EMP attack ‘unstoppable’

Weapon could slip U.S. defenses via satellite, detonating over Nebraska…

If North Korea were to launch a preemptive nuclear attack on the United States, it could use a long-range missile to orbit a satellite over the South Pole, putting it in line to fly over Omaha, Neb., and explode it at a 300-mile altitude where U.S. Aegis anti-ballistic missile systems cannot reach, sources have told WND…

The U.S. has positioned Aegis ships near North Korea and Japan, but a political decision apparently has been made not to attempt to shoot it down if it is heading for open water.

Sources say, however, that a missile to be launched toward the U.S. would take a trajectory over the South Pole, and it is questionable whether the U.S. has Aegis assets anywhere along the southerly path such a missile would take.

In addition, the missile would need to be shot down almost after lift-off, since the missile would launch the satellite relatively quickly into an orbit of 300 miles, which was the altitude of its satellite launch last December.

North Korea, meanwhile, announced in a statement that it has drawn the “arrows” for “merciless retaliatory strikes” at the U.S. mainland, U.S. military bases in the Pacific and “all other bases where the U.S. imperialist aggression forces station…

“A nuclear weapon designed specifically to generate a powerful electromagnetic pulse, or EMP – a single such ‘super-EMP’ warhead would be able to collapse the U.S. electric grid and other critical infrastructures, inflicting catastrophic consequences on the entire nation – would probably be deliverable by North Korea’s so-called ‘space launch vehicle’ over the United States,” said Pry, who also worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. “North Korea orbited its satellite on a trajectory and at an altitude ideal for making an EMP attack on the U.S.”

Pry pointed out that South Korean military intelligence has warned not only their government but also the U.S. that North Korea is developing super-EMP warheads with Russian help.

In 2011, Pry pointed out, a military commentator with the People’s Republic of China stated that North Korea has super-EMP warheads. Data from North Korea’s nuclear tests, he said, are consistent with a super-EMP warhead.  http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/north-korean-emp-attack-unstoppable/

In October 2012, Boeing, a USA aerospace company, successfully tested an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) missile.  So, while the North Koreans have not done yet what Boeing has, Boeing’s test suggested that an emp-bomb could be dangerous and knock out electrical systems and computers (see USA EMP Works, But USA Itself is at Risk).

What if the USA itself were to be hit by one or more EMP weapons in the right areas?

The results of an EMP incident would be catastrophic:

• · The U.S. power grid could be destroyed;
• · Planes would crash;
• · Water and sewerage systems would fail;
• · Banks could not access their records;
• · Transportation systems would be inoperable;
• · The internet would go down;
• · Emergency services would severely hampered.

Both U.S. and Soviet scientists became increasingly aware of the threat in 1962. A Financial Sense review of the problem noted that 50 years ago, a nuclear test 800 miles away from Hawaii knocked out 300 of the states’ street lights, triggered alarms, and caused damages to a telephone company. The same year, Moscow conducted three tests to discover the precise altitude a nuclear bomb needed to detonate at to destroy electronics on the ground. http://www.examiner.com/article/crippling-america-an-instant

One way that a country like North Korea (or Iran, etc.) could inflict major damage to the USA would be an effective use of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons. This type of weapon may also be used by the coming prophesied King of the South and/or the King of the North.

For some time, the USA has been aware of the potential threat of an EMP attack. Notice also the following:

In written testimony delivered to the United States Senate in 2005, an EMP Commission staff member reported:

The EMP Commission sponsored a worldwide survey of foreign scientific and military literature to evaluate the knowledge, and possibly the intentions, of foreign states with respect to electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack. The survey found that the physics of EMP phenomenon and the military potential of EMP attack are widely understood in the international community, as reflected in official and unofficial writings and statements. The survey of open sources over the past decade finds that knowledge about EMP and EMP attack is evidenced in at least Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Egypt, Taiwan, Sweden, Cuba, India, Pakistan, Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Iran, North Korea, China and Russia. (Wikipedia. EMP. Accessed 07/17/12)

An EMP attack by North Korea could greatly affect the USA, or even South Korea or Japan.

Power transformers in the USA (and elsewhere) are at risk and this could cause major economic and other damage to the USA. Such emp weapons, however, have never been used large scale, so precisely what would happen is subject to debate. But the reality is that emp weapons, as well as solar flares which have similar potential, are threats to the USA, its defenses, and its economy.

The USA, despite its military strength, is vulnerable to being hurt by EMP weapons as well as nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, dirty bombs, terrorism, and biological weapons. Now that everyone knows that EMPs can basically work as advertised, this may give the Iranians more reason to look further into using them if they feel pressed.

“And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:37).

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2012, 2013, or 2014? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? Is there a needed peace deal first in the Middle East? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the west?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Korea in Prophecy, Any Witness? Where did the Korean people come from? Does God have a plan for the Koreans? Is Korea mentioned in any prophecies? Will Koreans be among the first in the Kingdom of God? 한국의 언어로 : 한국 예언, 모든 증인에?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? Where did the Japanese people come from? Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan? Will God save the Japanese?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Bas-relief at Angkor Wat depicting a demon performing an ancient abortion.

COGwriter

The State of Mississippi almost got rid of its last remaining abortion clinic, but a federal judge ruled that, at least for now, it must be allowed to remain open:

NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge in Mississippi on Monday blocked part of a state law that would have forced the closing of the state’s only abortion clinic.

The ruling is not final, but it did keep the law from going into effect while a decision on its constitutionality is made, keeping Mississippi, at least temporarily, from becoming the first state in the country without an abortion clinic.  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/16/us/ruling-prevents-closing-of-mississippis-only-abortion-clinic.html?_r=0

Abortion kills an unborn person. Abortion is wrong.

The Bible is clear that those who support abortion are also wrong:

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32).

There are consequences to sin, especially sins on a national scale.

Few consider that the debt and budget problems in USA are related to abortion and other sins. But I believe that they are.

Since movement in the USA towards the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973, not only have about 55,000,000 babies been aborted/murdered, the USA has gone from being the world’s largest creditor nation to the world’s largest debtor nation (watch the video Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt). The USA long prided itself on being a “Christian nation,” but no real Christian judges or politicians should have been willing to “legalize” sins such as the horrific practices as abortion (for details on how horrific, please see the article Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose).

Americans who should have known better have disobeyed God.

And according to the Bible, debt is a curse of disobeying God:

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. (Deuteronomy 28:43-46)

The destruction of the USA is coming and abortion is one of the many reasons (see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

Also notice what has happened to the economy of the United States:

In real terms, as mentioned above, US growth in the 21st century seems to have fallen back to medieval levels. Why?…Because the economy failed to produce real growth. After 1973, wages, for example, adjusted for inflation, went nowhere. (Bonner B. Economic Growth in the Internet Age. Daily Reckoning, June 23, 2011)

Is it a coincidence or curse that wages in the USA in real terms has gone nowhere despite all the technological advances over the decades?

I do not believe it is a coincidence. I believe it is part of a curse. There is a price to pay for sins like abortion.

US President Obama, however, considers it a “fundamental constitutional right.”   Notice two public statements from US President Barack Obama:

Beyoncé could not be a better role model for my girls. (Barack Obama: Beyoncé is the perfect role model for my daughters. The Guardian, September 20, 2012)

{Abortion} I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right. (January 22, 2012: President Obama’s statement issued on the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Shown at 2012.Presidential-Candidates.org)

Beyoncé is a female American singer who often seems to violate standards of modesty (cf. 1 Timothy 2:9).   Abortion is murder, and abortion is wrong.  Promoting and/or approving biblically-condemned actions is dangerous and puts the U.S.A. at increasing risk God’s judgment (Romans 1:32). And some of that judgment is upon us: The rate of USA indebtedness also has greatly accelerated since 2008. And the USA is far and away the most indebted nation of all time.

Unborn humans are still people.  Abortion is wrong.  Some in Mississippi want to eliminate it, but others are determined to continue this appalling practice.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may also, or instead, wish to view the YouTube video Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt.
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves?
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? What will happen to the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

COGwriter

A few days after Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis, he made the following statement:

Robert “Mwafrika” Kipkoech Cheruiyot (Boston Marathon winner in 2003, 2006, 2007, & 2008)

COGwriter

Two bomb blasts went off at the finish line of the famous Boston Marathons:

April 15, 2013

Two huge explosions rocked the Boston Marathon finish line at Copley Square just before 3 p.m. today, apparently causing numerous casualties, some possible with traumatic injuries on streets crowded with runners, spectators and post-race partiers, while a top city official said police were finding “more devices.” (Boston Herald)

(Reuters) – Two explosions hit the Boston Marathon as runners crossed the finish line on Monday, killing at least two people and injuring 23 on a day when tens of thousands of people pack the streets to watch one of the world’s best known marathons.

Boston police also reported another explosion at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, which is three miles from the marathon’s finishing line.

“We are not certain that these incidents are related, but we are treating them as if they are,” Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis told a news conference…

“Blood everywhere, victims carried out on stretchers. I saw someone lose their leg, people are crying,” the Boston Globe’s Steve Silva reported from the scene, the Globe said on Twitter.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/15/us-athletics-marathon-boston-blast-idUSBRE93E0ZF20130415

(CBS/AP) – The Boston Police Commissioner told reporters that in addition to two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, a third explosion occurred at the city’s JFK Library, but that it’s not clear if it”s connected to the other detonations. CBS News is reporting that library sources say the incident there may have been a mechanical fire. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57579695-504083/boston-marathon-explosion-update-police-commissioner-cites-possible-third-bomb-blast-calls-event-ongoing/

BOSTON — Two bombs ripped through the crowd at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing two people and injuring dozens in what a White House official said would be handled as an “act of terror.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-boston-marathon-explosion-20130415,0,641755.story

This is troubling and these type of terrorist incidents are horrifying.

Over in the UK, they are also concerned about having something similar happening there:

April 15, 2013

LONDON (AP) — British police are reviewing security plans for Sunday’s London Marathon, the next major international marathon, because of the bombs that killed two people at the race in Boston. But there is no known specific or credible threat against the British race at the moment, a security official said.

The London Marathon is a hugely popular race. Last year, some 37,500 athletes competed, with many more watching the springtime event.

London has long been considered a top target for international terrorists, with the government saying the threat level is “substantial.”  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j_bTJ-VHRa0Xz_-hPs8PFuE4smTQ?docId=7e2ceed85dc7451eae721a154fc95750

Jesus taught about “troubles” as part of the ‘beginning of sorrows’ (Mark 13:8), which happen prior to the start of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), and the USA is not exempt from them.  Nor will it be exempted from the Great Tribulation which is also known as “the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10).

Terrors are prophesied (cf. Leviticus 26:14).  But, that does not excuse those that do such acts (Matthew 18:7).

If those responsible for this claim to be Christian, Jewish, or Islamic, then they really do not understand God’s law or what life is really supposed to be about.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally?  There is also a video titled What is the meaning of your life?

Hemagglutinin-type Flu Virus (Cybercobra at en.wikipedia)

COGwriter

The H7N9 strain of avian flu has killed more and seems to be infecting more:

April 15, 2013

The number of confirmed H7N9 bird flu cases in China increased by three to 63 today, according to the state-run Shanghai Daily. The government also reported a new death, bringing the total to 14, and the discovery of a four-year-old carrier in Beijing.

The latest death was a 77-year-old woman in Jiangsu Province. The four-year-old Beijing youth’s neighbor purchased poultry from the family that had the first confirmed H7N9 case in Beijing on Saturday, state media said.  http://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2013/04/15/h7n9-bird-flu-cases-in-china-rise-by-three-to-63-four-year-old-carrier-discovered/

April 15, 2013

Bird flu was found in a 4-year-old Beijing boy who has no symptoms of the infection, health authorities said, suggesting more people may be catching the H7N9 influenza virus than reported.

The first asymptomatic H7N9 case was discovered by health- care workers searching for possible cases, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau said in a statement on its website today. The boy’s parents are poultry and fish sellers, and their neighbors across the street had bought chicken sold by the family of a 7- year-old girl whose H7N9 infection was reported two days ago.

The boy is under medical observation. The case suggests some H7N9 infections may be going unrecorded because of a lack of obvious symptoms. Almost all of the 64 people diagnosed with the virus so far have been extremely unwell, with complications extending to brain damage, multi-organ failure and muscle breakdown.

“With asymptomatic cases around, I think everything changes,” said Ian Mackay, an associate professor of clinical virology at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, in a telephone interview today. “There has been a spike in pneumonia cases that have drawn the health officials’ attention, but the virus may have been going around as a normal cold.”…

Michael O’Leary, WHO’s China representative, told reporters in Beijing yesterday. “We know also that the virus, when untreated, is very serious,” he said.   http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-15/symptom-free-bird-flu-case-suggests-wider-h7n9-spread.html

So, more deaths are occurring from this strain of the bird flu and it may be spreading in a hard to detect manner.  China took some steps a couple of weeks ago to try to reduce the impact of the H7N9 strain.

Because of agricultural practices related to raising of livestock, including poultry, Asia (often China) is traditionally the place where new flu viruses originate. But, of course, they then have a tendency to spread around the globe.

Relatively soon, serious pestilences are prophesied as part of what Jesus called “the beginning of sorrows”–which includes famines and pestilences (Matthew 24:7-8). Whether or how birds may be involved is not mentioned in scripture–but a reduction in poultry can certainly affect food supplies.

And if this serious H7N9 strain of the flu continues to often be passed in an undetectable manner, it could be a serious pestilence itself.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2013, 2015, or 2015? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What is the “beginning of sorrows”? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? 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 Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?

“Orthodox” 16th Century Representation of the “Apocalypse”

COGwriter

Today, some in the Church of Rome will honor one of their “saints” and bishops named Victorinus.  Here is some of what The Catholic Encyclopedia reports about him:

St. Victorinus

An ecclesiastical writer who flourished about 270, and who suffered martyrdom probably in 303, under Diocletian.

He was bishop of the City of Pettau (Petabium, Poetovio), on the Drave, in Styria (Austria); hence his surname of Petravionensis or sometimes Pictaviensis, e.g. in the Roman Martyrology, where he is registered under 2 November, which long caused it to be thought that he belonged to the Diocese of Poitiers (France). Until the seventeenth century he was likewise confounded with the Latin rhetorician, Victorinus After. According to St. Jerome, who gives him an honourable place in his catalogue of ecclesiastical writers, Victorinus composed commentaries on various books of Holy Scripture, such as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Isaias, Ezechiel, Habacuc, Ecclesiastes, the Canticle of Canticles, St. Matthew, and the Apocalypse, besides treatises against the heresies of his time…

Like many of his contemporaries he shared the errors of the Millenarians, and for this reason his works were ranked with the apocrypha by Pope Gelasius. (Clugnet, L. (1912). St. Victorinus. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved April 1, 2013 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15414a.htm)

Notice that like MANY GRECO-ROMAN LEADERS just prior to Constantine, Victorinus taught the millennium.  That was a both a biblical doctrine as well as the teaching of most professing Christians prior to Emperor Constantine.  The millennium was certainly part of the apostolic tradition (the Apostle John, after all, wrote about it in Revelation 20), thus any who challenge or dismiss it are not being faithful to biblical doctrine nor apostolic tradition.

Victorinus wrote the following about the Book of Revelation, in likely the late 3rd century:

FROM THE TWENTIETH CHAPTER.

1–3. “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a chain in his hand. And he held the dragon, that old serpent, which is called the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed a little season.”]…

For we know not of those who seem to stand whether they shall not fall, and of those who are down it is uncertain whether they may rise. Moreover, that he says that he is bound and shut up, that he may not seduce the nations, the nations signify the Church, seeing that of them it itself is formed, and which being seduced, he previously held until, he says, the thousand years should be completed, that is, what is left of the sixth day, to wit, of the sixth age, which subsists for a thousand years; after this he must be loosed for a little season. The little season signifies three years and six months, in which with all his power the devil will avenge himself under Antichrist against the Church. Finally, he says, after that the devil shall be loosed, and will seduce the nations in the whole world, and will entice war against the Church, the number of whose foes shall be as the sand of the sea. (Victorinus. On the Apocalypse. Translated by Robert Ernest Wallis. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. [Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.], p. 359. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf07.vi.ii.xviii.html).

He also wrote:

…that true and just Sabbath should be observed in the seventh millenary of years. Wherefore to those seven days the Lord attributed to each a thousand years; for thus went the warning: “In Your eyes, O Lord, a thousand years are as one day.”  Therefore in the eyes of the Lord each thousand of years is ordained, for I find that the Lord’s eyes are seven. Wherefore, as I have narrated, that true Sabbath will be in the seventh millenary of years, when Christ with His elect shall reign. (Victorinus. Commentary on the Creation.  Translated by Robert Ernest Wallis. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight).

The Roman Catholic Church, in spite of the fact that it admits that many of its early saints taught the millennium, now strongly condemns this belief. Notice:

676 The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the “intrinsically perverse” political form of a secular messianism. (Catechism of the Catholic Church. Imprimatur Potest +Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, NY 1995, p. 194).

It should be noted that the millennial teaching appears to be the only doctrine associated with Antichrist that is condemned in the current official Catechism of the Catholic Church (which is the first new one in hundreds of years). The one that has the imprimatur of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger who is now called Pope Emeritus and formerly Benedict XVI.

It tends to amaze me that some associated with the Church of Rome do not realize that many of their “saints” held positions that are so strongly condemned by the current Roman Catholic Church.

Some articles of related interest, which contain many scriptures to search to verify what I am saying, include the following:

Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
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? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2021 or 20xx?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2014 or 2015? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church?
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. You can also watch a video titled What Does the Bible teach about the Antichrist?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing 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.

COGwriter

Some claim that 1 John 5:-7-8 is proof of the Greco-Roman trinity.  But is it really?

The above drawing is also used by some trinitarians to explain the trinity, even though it clearly violates laws of logic. It was basically developed because although most who profess Christ claim to believe in the trinity, it is a concept that is contradictory, so trying to show it in a drawing supposedly makes the illogical easier to understand.

But was the trinity a doctrine of the New Testament or early Christians?

Here is what one modern historian has written about it:

Like other doctrines that became central to the faith, however, belief in the Trinity was a historical development, not a “given” from the early years of the faith. A. The basic notion of the Trinity is that there are three persons in the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are all equally God and of the same substance, but despite the fact there are three persons, together, they compromise only one God, indivisible in nature. B. This doctrine does not appear to be a doctrine pronounced by the historical Jesus, Paul, or any other Christian writer during the first hundred years or so of Christianity. C. It cannot be found explicitly stated in the earliest Christian writings. The only passage of the New Testament that declares the doctrine (1 John 5:7-8) was not originally part of the text but was added by doctrinally astute scribes at a later date (it is not found in any Greek manuscripts until the 11th century) (Ehrman B. From Jesus to Constantine: A History of Early Christianity, Part 2. The Teaching Company, Chantilly (VA), 2004, p. 43).

According to the above, the trinity was not an original Christian belief and that only passage in the New Testament that declares that doctrine (1 John 5:7-8) was added at a later date.

Here is the version of 1 John 5:7-8 as improperly shown in the NKJV and the modern Douay Rheims:

7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. (1 John 5:7-8, NKJV)

7 And there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. 8 And there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three are one. (1 John 5:7-8, Douay-Rheims)

But much of what is shown above was ADDED to the original biblical texts.

Here is what the original text supports according to Dr. Daniel Wallace, professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary (a trinitarian institution) wrote:

The Textual Problem in 1 John 5:7-8:

“5:7 For there are three that testify, 5:8 the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three are in agreement.” –NET Bible

Notice that this is much shorter than what most Protestant or Catholic translators now show. Even certain trinitarian scholars realize that instead of teaching the trinity, the above has to do with Jesus and baptism (see Nelson Study Bible, p. 2147 which is also quoted in the article Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity?). It was only after someone scribbled a side note well after the Bible was written that the trinitarian view was added.

How late was the addition that makes it longer?

Here is more from Dr. Daniel Wallace on the longer addition:

This longer reading is found only in eight late manuscripts, four of which have the words in a marginal note. Most of these manuscripts (2318, 221, and [with minor variations] 61, 88, 429, 629, 636, and 918) originate from the 16th century; the earliest manuscript, codex 221 (10th century), includes the reading in a marginal note which was added sometime after the original composition. Thus, there is no sure evidence of this reading in any Greek manuscript until the 1500s; each such reading was apparently composed after Erasmus’ Greek NT was published in 1516. Indeed, the reading appears in no Greek witness of any kind (either manuscript, patristic, or Greek translation of some other version) until AD 1215 (in a Greek translation of the Acts of the Lateran Council, a work originally written in Latin)…

The Trinitarian formula (known as the Comma Johanneum) made its way into the third edition of Erasmus’ Greek NT (1522) because of pressure from the Catholic Church. After his first edition appeared (1516), there arose such a furor over the absence of the Comma that Erasmus needed to defend himself. He argued that he did not put in the Comma because he found no Greek manuscripts that included it…

In reality, the issue is history, not heresy: How can one argue that the Comma Johanneum must go back to the original text when it did not appear until the 16th century in any Greek manuscripts? (Wallace DB. The Textual Problem in 1 John 5:7-8. http://bible.org/article/textual-problem-1-john-57-8)

Although the NIV gets I John 5:7-8 right, in the KJV, Douay-Rheims, NKJV and many other translators of I John 5:7-8 include words not in the original text. On page 1918, The Ryrie Study Bible reminds everyone, related to the NKJV:

“Verse 7 should end with the word witness. The remainder of v. 7 and part of v. 8 are not in any ancient Greek manuscript…”.

In other words the words “in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth” are not inspired and are not supposed to be in the Bible.

Now lest any Catholics have a different view, although the CHANGED version of the Latin Vulgate contains a version of this, the Codex Amiatinus (Codex Amiatinus. Novum Testamentum Latine interpreter Hieronymo. Epistula Iohannis I V:6-8. Constantinus Tischendorf, Lipsiae. 1854 http://books.google.com/books?hl=pl&id=x0opAAAAYAAJ&q=NOVUM_TESTAMENTUM_LATINE#v=onepage&q=NOVUM_TESTAMENTUM_LATINE&f=false viewed 04/21/12), which is believed to be the closest to the original document that Jerome originally translated into Latin, also does not have this as The Catholic Encyclopedia states:

Codex Amiatinus The most celebrated manuscript of the Latin Vulgate Bible, remarkable as the best witness to the true text of St. Jerome…(Fenlon, John Francis. “Codex Amiatinus.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 21 Apr. 2012 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04081a.htm>)

Note: Yes, I personally read the Latin in the Codex Amiatinus and compared it to the changed version and more modern version of the Latin Vulgate which differs from the early version in that the modern version adds “in caelo, Pater, Verbum, et Spiritus Sanctus. Et hi tres unum sunt. Et tres sunt qui testimonium dant in terra:” (Latin Vulgate . com is provided by Mental Systems, Inc. http://www.latinvulgate.com/verse.aspx?t=1&b=23&c=5 viewed 04/21/12).

In other words, Catholic scholars realize that the texts that Jerome used to originally put together the Latin Vulgate Bible (the basic Bible for Catholics) did not have the late addition (which, of course, it could not originally have had as that addition came about many centuries after Jerome did his translation).

The Protestant and Catholic bibles that have the added words are relying on very late documents that were not considered to be original. Even various trinitarian scholars have concluded that 1 John 5:6-8 essentially has to do with Christ–not the “trinity” (see Nelson Study Bible, p. 2147 which is also quoted in the article Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity?)

Some sadly, of course, have ignored the truth about the origin of 1 John 5:7-8 and wish to believe that because early heretics seem to have possibly referred to it (one popular online source falsely claims that Tertullian, who followed the heretic Montanus, quoted the omitted words in Against Praxeas–this is not true as I have read that writing and it is not in there–but even if it was, Tertullian was a heretic follower who did not seem to have the proper canon), that it must be true–but that of course is a lie.

I would like to mention here that BECAUSE most Bibles contain the false long addition to 1 John 5:7-8, that Muslims often cite this as absolute proof that the Bible has been tampered with and cannot be trusted like they claim the Koran can. The belief and use of 1 John 5:7-8 causes the name of Christ (through the term ‘Christianity’) to be blasphemed among the Gentiles (Romans 2:24; Isaiah 52:5). No honest translator should have ever included it in the Bible as anything other than a footnote that it was improperly added in later centuries as a pretended addition to the text.

Origins of Certain Trinitarian Terms

The Cathecism of the Catholic Church itself admits that the Church (not the Bible) had to come up with terms of “philosophical” (pagan/Greek) origin to explain the trinity:

251 In order to articulate the dogma of the Trinity, the Church had to develop its own terminology with the help of certain notions of philosophical origin: “substance,” “person,” or “hypostasis,” “relation” and so on (Catechism of the Catholic Church. Imprimatur Potest +Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, NY 1995, p. 74).

According to a Catholic bishop named Marcellus of Ancyra wrote, around the middle of the fourth century, certain aspects of trinitarianism came from paganism and the term “hypostases” entered the professing Christian world from a heretic named Valentinus:

Now with the heresy of the Ariomaniacs, which has corrupted the Church of God…These then teach three hypostases, just as Valentinus the heresiarch first invented in the book entitled by him ‘On the Three Natures’. For he was the first to invent three hypostases and three persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he is discovered to have filched this from Hermes and Plato (Source: Logan A. Marcellus of Ancyra (Pseudo-Anthimus), ‘On the Holy Church’: Text, Translation and Commentary. Verses 8-9. Journal of Theological Studies, NS, Volume 51, Pt. 1, April 2000, p.95 ).

So, it was a heretic that introduced the trinitarian term hypostasis.

The term “substance” basically comes from a Greek term that was introduced to the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches by the pagan sun-worshiping Emperor Constantine. Protestant scholar H. Brown noted:

Although Constantine is usually remembered for the steps he took toward making Christianity the established religion of the Roman Empire, it would not be wrong to consider him the one who inaugurated the centuries of trinitarian orthodoxy. It was he who proposed and perhaps even imposed the expression homoousis at the Council of Nicea in 325, and it was he who provided government aid to the orthodox and exerted government pressure against nonconformists. ( Brown HOJ. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody (MA), 1988)

It should be noted that it is understood, even by some Catholic scholars, like Priest Bellarmino Bagatti, that those considered to be Judeao-Christians did not accept the Emperor’s non-biblical term:

The point of view of the Judaeo-Christians, devoid of Greek philosophical formation, was that of keeping steadfast to the Testimonia, and therefore not to admit any word foreign to the Bible, including Homoousion. ( Bagatti, Bellarmino. Translated by Eugene Hoade. The Church from the Gentiles in Palestine. Nihil obstat: Ignatius Mancini, 1 Februari 1970. Imprimi potest: Herminius Roncari, 26 Februari 1970. Imprimatur: +Albertus Gori, die 28 Februarii 1970. Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem, 1971, pp. 47-48)

Regarding the New Testament, even a trinitarian scholar has admitted that the Bible promotes a binitarian view, and does not teach what is now considered to be the trinity:

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).

The terms trinity, threeness, or trinitarian are not found in the Bible. The Protestant reformer Martin Luther himself taught:

It is indeed true that the name “Trinity” is nowhere to be found in the Holy Scriptures, but has been conceived and invented by man. (Luther Martin. The Sermons of Martin Luther, Church Postil, 1522; III:406-421, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

According to Roman Catholic sources, the term trinity, in relation to the Godhead, did not come until the late second/early third century. Yet, the idea of the trinity was apparently voiced by the heretic Montanus and as well as developed by a famous Gnostic heretic named Valentinus in the mid-2nd Century. One of the so-called Montanist Oracles, spoken by Montanus was:

“I am the Father and the Son and the Paraclete.” (Didymus, De trinitate iii. 41. 1.) (Assembled in P. de Labriolle, La crise montaniste (1913), 34-105, by Bates College, Lewston (Maine) http://abacus.bates.edu/Faculty/Philosophy%20and%20Religion/rel_241/texts/montanism.html 01/31/06).

This is one of the first references to a trinitarian view of the Godhead (the other earliest one was from the heretic Valentinus–it is unclear which was first). The paraclete is a term used to signify the Holy Spirit (it is from the Greek term parakletos). Eusebius records (Eusebius. Church History, Book V, Chapters 18-19) that church leaders in Asia Minor and Antioch, such as Apollonius of Ephesus, that Serapion of Antioch, Apollinaris of Hierapolis, and Thraseas of Eumenia opposed the Montantist heresies (Apollinaris of Hierapolis and Thraseas of Eumenia were Quartodecimans, and Apollonius likely was as well). And Irenaeus recorded that Polycarp denounced Valentinus.

The reality is that the longer addition of 1 John 5:7-8 was unknown to early Christians as it was not part of the Bible. And shockingly to some, the early faithful clearly held what has been called a binitarian or semi-Arian view of the Godhead.

Those interested in studying this doctrine in more detail, should consider looking at the following documented articles:

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.
Valentinus: The Gnostic Trinitarian Heretic He apparently was the first Christ-professing heretic to come up with the idea of three hypostases.

World Currencies

COGwriter

April 15th is traditionally the day income tax returns are due in the USA (the date is extended if the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday)–and many probably are trying to work on them today.

But what about taxes? Should Christians pay them? Why do the descendants of Israel pay them?

In the USA, one of the biggest bites on our income is taxes.  There are state and federal income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes and other taxes.  And some countries, especially in Europe, taxes are higher.

What did Jesus teach about taxes?

Jesus taught that people were to pay taxes:

14 When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?”

But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.”  16 So they brought it.

And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

17 And Jesus answered and said to them,  “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  (Mark 12:14-17)

Notice that He also paid taxes, even though He knew He should be legitimately exempted:

24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”

25 He said, “Yes.”

And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”

26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”

Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.  27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”  (Matthew 17:24-27)

The Apostle John taught:

6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.  (1 John 2:6)

While governments come up with reasons that they want taxes, some of which seem more legitimate than others, the Bible suggests that governments will increase taxes essentially for the benefit of the government.  And essentially this is a punishment for disobedience.

Notice what happened to ancient Israel when they wanted a king instead of a prophet of God as their primary human leader:

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day — with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods — so they are doing to you also. 9 Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. 11 And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. 12 He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. 16 And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. 18 And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”  (1 Samuel 8:4-20)

Since the time of Samuel, governments have often not been satisfied for a tenth, but have wanted more and more.  And this is happening to many of those in USA, Canada, Europe, and elsewhere.

History shows that taxation occurred in places such as ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome. The famous Rosetta Stone mentions taxes on grain and wine. Humankind has suffered taxation throughout history, and much of this is a consequence of  rejecting God’s government.  But of course, taxes themselves are a lesser of the many evils human’s have suffered because of this rejection.

Yet, the time will come when Jesus will return and restore the government of God.  There will be no improper nor unfair taxes then.  When Jesus comes and establishes His kingdom, humankind will accept His government and the current tax burdens will be replaced by a proper tithing based system.

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

Taxes What caused the descendants of Israel to pay taxes? Should Christians pay taxes?  Here is a link to a YouTube video Should Christians Pay Taxes?
The Bible, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Roderick C. Meredith on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about?
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
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? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2019 or 202x?
Tithing Questions and Some Answers Addresses some non-biblical arguments against tithing. Should people tithe?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?  There is also a YouTube video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.
Is Tony Blair Apocalyptic? The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom converted to Catholicism shortly after leaving his office and has been active in European affairs. What role might he play?

Palace of Westminster in London

COGwriter

The “Church of England” came out with a paper in favor of marriage:

The Church of England has set out to explain why it believes in a traditional understanding of marriage in a new report out this week.

“Men and Women in Marriage” takes as its basic premise the view that marriage is a “gift of God in creation and means of His grace”, providing the best context for the raising of children.

The report defines marriage as a “faithful, committed, permanent and legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman, central to the stability and health of human society”.

It also clarifies that the intention is not to repeat its arguments against Government plans to legalise same-sex marriage.

“The disagreements [over same-sex marriage] now need to be set against a more positive background of how Christians have understood and valued marriage,” the report explains.

The report does, however, make clear that there are not two kinds of marriage, one religious and one civil, as has been suggested in the gay marriage debate.

“There have simply been two kinds of marriage ceremony,” the report states.

A concluding note also suggests that the legalisation of same-sex marriage will have a negative impact on the institution of marriage more generally.

“The reality of marriage between one man and one woman will not disappear as the result of any legislative change, for God has given this gift, and it will remain part of our created human endowment.

“But the disciplines of living in it may become more difficult to acquire, and the path to fulfilment, in marriage and in other relationships, more difficult to find.”  http://www.christiantoday.com/article/church.of.england.affirms.traditional.understanding.of.marriage/32103.htm

On the surface it seems that the Church of England is determined to stand pat on the classic biblical understanding of marriage and not be hoodwinked by the sex-crazed culture. A 24-page document, issued this week by the Faith and Order Commission and published with the agreement of the House of Bishops, states “marriage is a creation ordinance, a gift of God in creation and a means of his grace. Marriage, defined as a faithful, committed, permanent and legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman, is central to the stability and health of human society. It continues to provide the best context for the raising of children.”

Document GS Misc 1046 with a forward by “Justin Cantuar” (Justin Welby) and “Sentamu Ebor” (John Sentamu) – the archbishops of Canterbury and York – liberally use the English Standard Version, the Anglicized New Revised Standard Version, and the New International Version of the Scriptures to make the Church’s case for marriage in five succinct arguments: Belief in God the Creator; Marriage & Society; Parenthood & Partnership; Freedom & Growth; and State & Church in Relation to Marriage.

First turning to the creation story in Genesis the CofE document points out that God created males and females. Christ reminded the Pharisees of that fact in Matthew when He said: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh,” quoting the Genesis account of the creation of Eve to be Adam’s helpmeet. This is the crux of Christian marriage that the Church of England is tentatively defending against the cultural onslaught in British society.

“Marriage is a gift of God in creation,” the document declares citing the CofE’s Common Worship Marriage Service. Meaning that marriage is more than a cultural development or simply a political or economic institution, that “it is an expression of the human nature which God has willed for us and which we share.”  http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=17422#.UWdxvzf_FrQ

The Church of England has ruled out providing public blessings to same-sex marriages in a new report.

The move follows the outgoing Bishop of Liverpool Right Reverend James Jones’s questioning of whether the Church should maintain its stance.

The Bishop of Coventry Dr Christopher Cocksworth, one report author, said “public forms of blessing belong to marriage alone”.   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22094595

I meant to report about this earlier, and am glad I finally have had to chance to get to this.  The basic point of the Church of England that marriage is between one man and one woman is correct.  It is nice when various ones attempt to take a stand against the moral decline of their nations.

The reality is that people who approve of homosexual marriage miss the whole point about marriage, ignore the lessons of history, and overlook the facts of biology, not to mention the admonitions in the Bible.

Homosexual marriage, itself, is currently unlawful in the United Kingdom itself, but bills in the British and Scottish parliaments are currently aiming to make such “marriages” legal–despite what the Church of England says.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? Can homosexuals change?
God Created Marriage Some falsely claim that God did not create marriage and that fornication is fine.  What does the Bible really teach?
Why Marriage? Soon Obsolete? This is a booklet from Herbert Armstrong on this important topic.
Here’s the Plain Truth About OLD TESTAMENT POLYGAMY by Herbert Armstrong.
Love, Marriage, and Sex It is important to get them in the right order.
Five Rules for Effective Parenting Do you know that there are five simple rules that can make you a more effective parent? There is also a 12 1/2 minute YouTube video on this, also titled Five Rules for Effective Parenting.
What Psychologists do not Know About Child Rearing This is an article by Herbert Armstrong that was used as the introduction to the pdf booklet The Plain Truth About Child Rearing.
The Plain Truth About Child Rearing This is a pdf booklet that the old WCG put out.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, 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?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
Is Tony Blair Apocalyptic? The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom converted to Catholicism shortly after leaving his office and has been active in European affairs. What role might he play?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.
Prophecy Obama: Prophecies of Barack Obama? Reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss 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 at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.