Church of God News

Boeing ‘Doomsday’ E-4B

COGwriter

A reader sent me the following:

January 13, 2015

A Doomsday Plane Reminder: Nuclear Weapons Haven’t Gone Away

Forbes – Jan 13, 2015   excerpts…

Here’s a news item you may have missed over the holidays.  The “doomsday planes” are being upgraded… 

The reason you may have missed the story is that almost nobody besides InsideDefense.com reported it.  National media were too busy covering more weighty matters like the efforts of North Korean agents to suppress a Sony film farce that insults the Dear Leader, and the attack on a French satirical magazine by a motley crew of extremists.  How could nuclear Armageddon compete with that?

The Russians are improving the survivability of their long-range missiles by deploying more of them on mobile launchers that can’t be targeted as easily as fixed silos.  But you probably haven’t heard about that either…

Why doesn’t this story get more attention, since it’s the only manmade threat that really could wipe out our civilization?  One possible reason is that people think nuclear war is very improbable – a failure of imagination, as Thomas Friedman put it after the 9-11 attacks.  Another reason, perhaps, is that they’ve simply gotten used to the danger, and prefer not to think about the unthinkable.  But a third possibility, which would be worth testing, is that a majority of Americans believe they are defended against nuclear attack, even though in the common-sense definition of that term they are not.

Somehow, Americans have arrived at a time in their history when they spend hundreds of billions of dollars shoring up the security of countries on the other side of the world, but have almost no protection against the one danger that could obliterate everything they cherish. http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2015/01/13/a-doomsday-plane-reminder-nuclear-weapons-havent-gone-away/

Anti-Semitic graffiti

COGwriter

Many in France and Israel have been mourning the deaths in France caused by Islamic-linked terrorists last week:

January 13, 2015

French President Francois Hollande has praised the three French police officers who were killed in last week’s terror attacks in Paris, saying they sacrificed their lives “so that we may live in freedom.”

Hollande spoke Tuesday at a ceremony granting the officers the nation’s prestigious Legion D’honneur award, posthumously. The ceremony was held at the central police headquarters in Paris, near the famed Notre Dame cathedral.

Hollande told the victims’ mourning families on Tuesday: “They [the officers] died carrying out their duty with courage, bravery, dignity. They died as police officers. … I assure you that the whole of France shares your pain,” according to a report by the French news agency AFP.

Hollande paid tribute to Ahmed Merabet, 40, a Muslim policeman, who was “executed in a cowardly way” by the killers as he lay wounded on a Paris sidewalk as they fled the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo last Wednesday. …

Israel funeral

In Jerusalem, at nearly the same time Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told mourners at a funeral for four Jewish victims of last week’s terror spree that radical Islamist terrorism is not just the enemy of the Jewish people, but of all humanity.

Netanyahu said it is time for people of all cultures to unite and get rid of such radical elements.

The four Jewish victims all died last Friday in an attack on a kosher grocery store on the eastern edge of Paris. They are being buried in a Jerusalem cemetery Tuesday.

Netanyahu stirred controversy in France Sunday when he urged French Jews to emigrate to Israel to avoid what he called a rising tide of anti-Semitism. …

Wipe out IS fighters

Meanwhile, France’s Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday that Islamic State fighters must be wiped out, indicating that Paris would not pull back from military operations overseas after 17 people were killed by home-grown militants in Paris last week.

After the United States, France has the largest number of planes and troops involved in the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, which last year took control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria. …

Charlie Hebdo to publish

Meanwhile, the publishers of Charlie Hebdo said the Prophet Muhammad will be on the cover of the next issue, which comes out on Wednesday.

In a preview released to media this week, the prophet is seen holding a sign saying “I Am Charlie” and standing under the headline “All is Forgiven.” …

On Sunday, at least 3.7 million people throughout France took part in marches of support for the magazine and freedom of expression. World leaders linked arms to lead more than a million people through Paris in an unprecedented homage to the victims.

Two Islamic extremist brothers, Cherif and Said Kouachi, massacred 12 people at the magazine’s office last week. Charlie Hebdo is known for cartoons that poke fun at Islam and other religions, as well as public figures.

French police ambushed and killed the brothers Friday — the same day another Islamic militant, Coulibaly, attacked the kosher supermarket before being killed by police. Coulibaly had killed French policewoman Jean-Philippe one day earlier.  http://www.voanews.com/content/israel-holds-funeral-for-jewish-victims-of-paris-terror-spree/2596096.html

While the French are justifiably upset about the terrorist incidents, the reality is that many Jews do not consider that France is safe for them anymore because of the rise of antisemitism there.

While some are upset by Benjamin Netanyahu’s emigration statements, notice the following report:

January 13, 2015

As the world rightly focuses on the recent terror attacks in Paris on Charlie Hedbo and a kosher grocery store, it should be noted that the second attack is part of a larger problem: the ongoing vitriol toward the French Jewish community. …

This past summer, I traveled to Paris with a colleague after the Abravanel Synagogue, a prominent synagogue in the center of Paris, was attacked by an angry mob in July. We went to stand in solidarity with the congregation and to carry prayers from their friends in the United States. What we saw deeply disturbed us. We stepped into Paris and saw a Jewish community under siege. We saw hatred of Jews expressing itself in a violent form. The police instructed us not to wear our yarmulkes on the streets of Paris, as it was considered dangerous and incendiary behavior to openly dress as Jews. At that time we were horrified to learn that some French Jews were afraid to post on social media for fear that that information could be used to track and assault them. During our stay in Paris, we experienced, ever so briefly, what a French Jew feels every day — a sense of constant danger simply for being Jewish.

Since then, we’ve stayed in touch with our friends in Paris. This very proud Jewish community has been asking for our help to leave France. One of my friends, one of the most respected Jews in France (whose name I will not mention so that he can maintain good relations with the French government), wrote to me just two days before the attack on Charlie Hebdo. He expressed extraordinary concern for the safety of French Jewry and said that he feared a mass slaughter was coming.

When I speak with Jews in France today, I feel the return of a grave danger to Jews that has arisen too often in Europe. …

The American Jewish community must make it a priority to help Jews in France — and other European communities facing resurgent anti-Semitism. …

The heinous acts against Charlie Hebdo and the kosher supermarket may lead to a dramatic shift in how France confronts the growing problem of terrorism. The people of France are strong and resilient, and have rallied to the defense of their Jewish citizens. It is certainly the fervent prayer of Jews around the world that this strong support remains in place. But the Jews of France, who know their country best, are voting with their feet. They have called upon us for help, and we in the United States must answer their call.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/01/13/the-u-s-should-open-its-doors-to-european-jews/

In biblical times, Israel’s son Reuben allowed Joseph to be mistreated.  Now, apparently many of the descendants of Reuben (many of which are in France) feel it is acceptable to show hate towards the descendants of Judah (Jews) (see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

The reality is that many people around the world harbor antisemitic feelings.  The graffiti shown at the beginning of this post was photographed in Venezuela.

Notice also the following report from last Spring:

May 13, 2014

A new survey has concluded that about a quarter of the world’s population … holds anti-Semitic views.

The New York-based Anti-Defamation League said Tuesday that it polled more than 53,000 people in 102 countries and territories over the last year, asking them whether they felt that 11 negative stereotypes about Jews were probably true or false, or did not know. The survey defined someone as anti-Semitic if that person agreed with six or more of the statements.

Among the stereotypes cited in the survey were “Jews are more loyal to Israel than [their home] country,” “Jews have too much power in the business world” and “Jews are responsible for most wars in the world.”

The survey found the highest concentration of anti-Semitism in the Middle East and North Africa, with 74 percent of those polled agreeing with a majority of the anti-Semitic stereotypes. By contrast, the anti-Semitism figure was 34 percent in eastern Europe, 24 percent in western Europe, 23 percent in sub-Saharan Africa, 22 percent in Asia, 19 percent in the Americas and 14 percent in Oceania.

The polling found that only 54 percent of the people surveyed had heard of the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were exterminated by the Nazis during World War II. Those surveyed also often significantly overestimated the number of Jews in the world, while the actual figure is less than one-fifth of 1 percent. http://www.voanews.com/content/survey-finds-quarter-of-world-holds-anti-semitic-views-/1913932.html

As I have written previously, it will not surprise me if the percentage of those who hate Jews will rise.  And we continue to see antisemitism rising.

Many people hate others, and the Jews tend to be of the more hated groups. But that is not how people are to live.

Notice something that God had Moses record:

8 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18)

But it is not just Jews that are hated or will be in the future. Throughout history, true Christians have sometimes been called “Jews” and have been subject to persecution supposedly directed towards Jews. True Christians also had to suffer through the so-called Inquisition, which utilized torture against those that had Church of God beliefs–and more is expected in the future (see Persecutions by Church and State).  Protestant (see The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong) and Eastern Orthodox (see John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople and Antisemite) leaders have also promoted antisemitism and Church of God persecution.

It is not just physical Jews that are at risk–spiritual ones are as well (cf. Romans 2:28-29; John 15:20).

Terrorism is wrong.  Racial hatred is wrong. People should not be terrorists nor antisemitic.  People should not hate others.  Sadly, more terrorism is expected (Leviticus 26:14-17; Deuteronomy 32:25; Ezekiel 21:12; Psalms 73:12,19; Proverbs 1:25-27) and we will see persecution will greatly increase before Jesus returns (cf. Daniel 7:25; see also Persecutions by Church and State).

COGwriter

People who have seen the Ben Stein movie, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, realize that the academic community tends to hurt the careers of those who actually have scientific evidence against evolution. Most academics teach that in violation of the law of biogenesis, primitive life somehow sprung up.

But what if we allow the impossibility of spontaneous primitive life to have occurred?

The primitive life would have to die. Part of the reason for this is that even a single-cell is so complex, and so full of various biological subsystems, that scientists have learned that many systems are essentially necessary for life to exist or continue. Science recognizes that living organisms must be self-contained, eat, digest, and reproduce to continue to exist.

Spontaneously alive lined-up amino acids (with other substances coincidentally there) would die because:

1) All living organisms need biological structures such as organelles and membranes. Without a membranous structure, the proteins would ultimately diffuse and destroy the living organism. Living organism must be somewhat self-contained.
2) All living organisms need nourishment and direction. Since randomness would not have created the biological structure known as a DNA-containing nucleus (or some primitive equivalent), the cell would die. Even if it had some type of nucleus to provide direction, the nucleus would have to have come into existence with ability to determine what to eat and how to find food, another impossibility.
3) Even if the cell had all the above, it would die, because there would have been no reason for it to have spontaneously generated a digestive system in order to utilize the food.
4) Even if evolutionists are granted all the improbabilities and impossibilities this article discusses, the primitive life would quickly die out as there would have been no reason for it to have spontaneously generated an ability to reproduce, nor would it have any innate ability to do so.

It is in the Bible that we are told that when God made life He intended it to reproduce (Genesis 1:11,28,29). The idea of an ‘intelligent design’ by a Spirit being is the only explanation that does not defy scientifically provable knowledge–for all other explanations result in something that must die out.

And the scientific fact is that evolution as a model for explaining how life began makes no scientific sense.

So, no I do not believe in the “theory of evolution” as a viable explanation of the origin of life. Evolution requires simply too many impossibilities to make sense. And it only takes one impossibility to disprove a theory.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true? Here is a link to a YouTube sermon titled Is it logical to believe in God?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation? Does the Bible allow for the creation of the universe and earth billions of years ago? Why do some believe they are no older than 6,000 years old? What is the gap theory? Where the days of creation in Genesis 1:3 through 2:3 24 hours long? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Cuán vieja es la Tierra? ¿Cuán largos fueron los Días de la Creación? ¿Teoría de la brecha?
Questions and Answers from Genesis Many wonder about certain early events that this article discusses.
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist? Who is God?
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.
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?

COGwriter

The latest issue (says #168 December 31, 2014) of The Journal was sent out electronically and just received.

Some of its main articles has to do with LCG succession, some Feast of Tabernacles‘ reports, child rearing, being hot or lukewarm, sin, and some history of the old Worldwide News.

Living Church of God founder and presiding evangelist Roderick C. Meredith recently conducted a meeting of his church’s council of elders to discuss doctrinal issues. The council members also passed an “affirmation” stating who would be next in line to succeed Dr. Meredith in the event he was no longer able to preside over the church. The council, which also deliberated several other matters, has no binding authority over the church or its admin- istration. It serves strictly in an advisory capacity. …

Besides discussing matters reported in the church’s press release, Mr. Wakefield informed THE JOURNAL that the council of elders also issued a unanimous affirmation concerning the succession of the office of presiding evangelist of the Living Church of God. After Dr. Meredith has completed his service, Mr. Wakefield said, Richard Ames of Charlotte is next in line to serve, followed by Gerald Weston…

Richard Ames was designated as Dr. Meredith’s ‘heir’ years ago.  Various ones have brought up Gerald Weston’s name in the past as another candidate.  Unless either of them changes, the direction for LCG is going is not Philadelphian for various reasons of integrity, doctrine, and prophecy (see Why Bob Thiel Left the Living Church of God).

Regarding child rearing, there was an article by Wesley Worthen titled It’s a good idea to spend time with your children.  Of course, that is true (see also Five Rules for Effective Parenting).

There was an article by Ray Daly titled Are you hot, cold or lukewarm?  In his article he asks:

Choose you this day! Why do you sit between two opinions? Can two walk together except they be agreed?

Most in the COGs today are lukewarm and refuse to properly choose as they tend to be comfortable where they are (see also The Laodicean Church Era and The Philadelphia Church Era).

There was an article by Dan L. White titled Now is not a good time to feel good, COGs.  In the article, basically he says that most COGs (he pointed mainly to UCG) do not denounce sin as much as they try to tell their members that they are special.  He may wish to check out what we in the  Continuing Church of God. teach as we have denounced many sins that affect not only those outside the COGs, but also those within them (e.g. Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible, Is American Football Evil?, Gambling and Sin: Is it a Sin for Christians to Gamble?, Should Christians Smoke Tobacco or Marijuana?, Binge Drinking, Health, and the Bible, Tattoos: History and Biblical Teachings, and Should a Christian Vote?).

‘The Worldwide News’

In 1973 Garner Ted Armstrong approved the publishing of a church newspaper. Involved with the early planning of what became The Worldwide News, which came out every other week, were Big Sandy dean of students Ron Kelly and especially a 1966 Ambassador graduate and faculty member John Robinson.

Mr. Robinson and Mr. Kelly, aided by printing-department employees including several students, wrote, laid out and printed a prototype of what the newspaper could look like and presented it for approval to the younger Mr. Armstrong.

Staff inflation

“The on-site mover and shaker of the original version of The Worldwide News, which began in Big Sandy April 1, 1973, and ended in the spring of 1978, was John Robinson,” said a staff member of the original five years, Mr. Cartwright. “I just checked the old masthead, or staff box, of the first issue,” he said, “and was surprised that we included 56 people on the original staff.”

That staff listing was “grossly inflated,” said Mr. Cartwright, as were the staffs of other WCG publications, to make them look “more official and more impressive.” The original listing included people who had nothing to do with The Worldwide News such as Colin Adair and Norman Smith, said Mr. Cartwright.

“Early in 1974, the second year of the WN’s publication, the staff list magically shrank to a more-realistic 13,” said Mr. Cartwright. A partial listing of the staff, employees who actually were involved in the WN’s administration or production over the five years, included: Editor in chief Herbert W. Armstrong; editor Garner Ted Armstrong; managing editor John Robinson (who died in 2006); writers and layout artists Scott Ashley, Rick Baumgartner, Randy Brelsford, Linda Cartwright, Paula Cummins, Gerry Ghearing, Sheila Dennis, Janie George, Tom Hanson, Dave Havir, Gene Hogberg, Kimberly Kessler, Clyde Kilough, Sherry L. Marsh, David McKee, Dave Molnar, Michele Molnar, Ava Norton, Faye Odie, Mac Overton, Klaus Rothe, Vivian Rothe, Linda Moll, Ken Treybig, Tricia Willhoite and Jim Worthen; photographers Pete Leschak, Scott Moss, Roland Rees, Eugene Smyda and John Wright; circulation managers David Blue and Karen Gardner; and copy editor Dixon Cartwright.

Though not always named as staff members, personnel in the college’s printing department contributed to the WN’s production, including Mike Hale, Dean Koeneke, Ellis Stewart and Marty Yale; and many local- church-member volunteers. The printing-department crew would do the camera and other prepress work, then furnish the printer, The Gladewater Mirror, with negatives from which to burn the plates for an old Harris web offset printing press.

“Although the elder Mr. Armstrong was acknowledged as editor in chief, he was not much involved with the early issues, as I remember,” said Mr. Cartwright. “GTA [Garner Ted Armstrong] was directly involved, although in the five years of the original WN we could never get him to visit our production area or meet with the production staff in any way except over the phone.”

Mr. Cartwright said the original Worldwide News, published from 1973 to 1978, was an “interesting phenomenon.” “It was the closest thing the Radio/Worldwide Church of God had had to a free press,” he said.

“We were still controlled, but we did manage to write and publish hard news. “For example, we reported on our front page when a church employee, a church pastor, shot and killed his wife and then himself in a courthouse. That kind of story would probably not have been openly talked about, much less reported, before or after the original Worldwide News. “We had a team, an esprit de corps and a professionalism that I’m proud to have been a part of in those years.”

Dixon Cartwright puts out The Journal which is apparently his version of what he hoped the old Worldwide News would have looked more like.

Some have wondered about ‘1975 in Prophecy.’  Notice something in about that:

Mr. Neff begged to differ

The decade of the ’70s brought new challenges and many changes to Ambassador in Big Sandy. The church was once again experiencing financial, public-relations and various other difficulties. Whether it was the failed prediction of the return of Jesus, other doctrinal issues or headline-grabbing personal difficulties between church and college founder Herbert Armstrong and his son Garner Ted, the church and college were in for some rough times.

When THE JOURNAL remarked in passing to Mr. Neff about some of the WCG’s failed prophecies, specifically that Christ would return Sept. 18, 1975, Mr. Neff begged to differ. “No one ever said Christ would return in 1975,” said Mr. Neff. “It was commonly believed that it would be Trumpets in 1975 and that 3 1 ⁄ 2 years earlier, in 1972, the church would go to Petra [which the church believed would be a prophesied ‘place of safety’].

“This was never taught by Mr. Armstrong as a certainty to my knowledge…”

There were, however, prophetic errors that were taught.  Many COGs have so many prophetic errors that there is no way that they will know when the Great Tribulation will begin until it is too late.  A listing of many currently held prophetic errors is in the article The Laodicean Church Era.

The back page of The Journal mentioned the following related to UCG:

The United Church of God announced that its Beyond Today television program will be airing on a new day and time beginning Friday, Jan. 2, 2015. The program will now air each Friday morning at 8:30 eastern time.

The Journal also had the usual letters to the editor and other advertisements, various comments, and opinion articles.

The Journal itself is available by paid subscription (though Dixon Cartwright says some subscriptions are free to those who cannot afford it) and often tends to take a non-Philadelphian era view of certain church matters.

COGwriter

The U.S. Defense Department has admitted that one of its systems related to Twitter was hacked. Hackers claim to be associated with ISIS and that no soldier is safe:

January 12, 2015

The Islamic State’s so-called Cyber Caliphate took over the account and sent out personal information on the Twitter account, which has nearly 110,000 followers. ‘We are coming, watch your back,’ one tweet, signed ISIS, reads. The group also hacked the CentCom YouTube account and posted ISIS propaganda videos. The Twitter account was suspended some 40 minutes after the hack and the Defense Department confirmed the accounts were ‘compromised.’

ISIS apparently hacked into the U.S. Central Command’s Twitter account on Monday afternoon.An ISIS hacker group has infiltrated the U.S. Central Command Twitter account and threatened American soldiers.

The so-called Cyber Caliphate seized the account around 12:30 p.m. Monday and sent a message reading, “AMERICAN SOLDIERS, WE ARE COMING, WATCH YOUR BACK. ISIS.”

A pastebin link contains files, supposedly of sensitive Pentagon documents.

The group claimed to have taken over the account as part of its “CyberJihad,” and had changed it’s cover photo to that of a hooded man.

“You’ll see no mercy infidels. ISIS is already here, we are in your PCs, in each military base. With Allah’s permission we are in CENTCOM now,” the document reads. “We won’t stop! We know everything about you, your wives and children. U.S. soldiers! We’re watching you!”  http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/u-s-central-command-twitter-account-hacked-isis-article-1.2074848

Islamic State supporters are sending a message of destruction.

COGwriter

The essentially Iraqi-based group called the Islamic State (also known as ISIL or ISIS) issued more threats:

January 12, 2015

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) –  The NYPD is on high alert following a new threat by Islamic State extremists.

Officials said the Islamic State posted a video on Twitter Saturday calling for attacks on police officers and soldiers in the United States, Canada, Great Britain and France.

Speaking Monday on “CBS This Morning,” Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said the NYPD takes these threats seriously.

“There are a number of people who are in the process of being radicalized. Something like this can be the last straw to move them forward,” he said. “Additionally, they are continually working to attract new recruits.”

John Miller, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, said the message put out by ISIS was a renewal of a call from mid-September before a series of attacks in Canada and a hatchet attack against NYPD officers in October.

Miller said the NYPD issued an advisory to police officers informing them of the message and reminding them to be “extra vigilant.”  http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/01/12/nypd-on-high-alert-after-new-threat-by-isis/

A new ISIS threat has surfaced with the terror regime calling on its supporters to kill police officers, soldiers, intelligence officers and civilians in the U.S.

City cops were alerted to the threat and ordered to remain vigilant after the sick bulletin’s release on social media Saturday.

“Pay close attention to people as they approach and look for their hands as they approach you,” reads an internal NYPD safety memo the Daily News obtained.

NYPD officials noted that ISIS spokesman Abu Mohamad Al-Adnani’s call to action was similar to one made last September.  http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/nypd-alerted-isis-threat-cops-civilians-article-1.2073649

Because of actions by groups such as the Islamic State and the terror attacks in France, many in the West as well as in many of the Islam-dominated countries will decide that a coalition of nations in North Africa and the Middle East is what is needed for ‘peace.’

Yet this, according to the Bible, will not truly bring peace (Daniel 11:40-43), though it may well lead to a temporary peace (Daniel 9:27; see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).  It may be a prelude to the time of coming destruction (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:3).

COGwriter

What is the meaning of your life? Does God have a plan for you personally?

Yes, but it is different than what many have believed.

Why did God make YOU? What is YOUR purpose?

The Bible teaches:

God is love (1 John 4:16).

The LORD is good (Nahum 1:7).

God made you to share His love with YOU.

As a matter of fact,

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:16-17).

Love is the main part of the meaning of life.

And YOU are also to love,

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:7-8 7).

The Bible also shows,

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also (John 4:20-21).

29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:29-34)

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well (James 2:8).

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. (John 14:21)

The Sabbath, for example, reflects love towards others as well as God’s love toward humanity–as it is clear that God intended Divine rest from the beginning. The Bible does teach that real love and ethics are found in the law of God. For more on the Bible and love, please read the article The Ten Commandments Reflect Love.

Jesus taught:

And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise (Luke 6:31).

Jesus also taught:

It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)

Since we are to be blessed (Matthew 25:34), this means that we are to be givers.

You may be thinking, “well I have heard some of this before from some religion”, what is MY purpose? Who am I? Why me?

YOU are unique. You are one who can give love in a unique way. Ultimately God has special plans for YOU personally. YOU are not the same as everyone else.

The Bible makes it clear that we are not all the same and are not to contribute the same way, and it uses the analogy of the body in 1 Corinthians 12:12-23 to do so:

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.

Yes, YOU, whether strong or weak, are necessary. God’s plan includes a plan for YOU! Yes, you.

If you are having trouble now and wonder if your life is not going as it should, you may wish to read a booklet, based upon biblical principles, titled The Seven Laws of Success.

You are to receive and you to give love.

This is the true Christian meaning of life.

In the Old Testament, Job understood that God had a plan for him when he stated to God, “You shall desire the work of Your hands (Job 14:15). What Job meant was that after he was resurrected (this is discussed in the verses prior) Job knew that God had a meaning of life for him personally.

In the New Testament, Jesus taught the same thing. When He taught,

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself (John 14:2-3).

Jesus was saying that He would prepare a place for YOU if you were one of the Father’s children. God will work with you and you will not ever be forsaken:

6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6)

5…For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Furthermore, notice the following:

But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked (1 John 2:5-6)

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:9-11).

We are to love and receive love. And through various tests and trials build the type of character that will flourish in the coming Kingdom of God.

Those who are depressed about the suffering in today’s world need to understand that the Bible teaches,

God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:3-4).

And the happiness we will experience will be beyond that which humans can imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9).

God’s plan for you is to show you love through the forgiveness of sins, to ultimately reveal His loving plan of salvation to all, to give you more than you can even imagine, and for you to be able to show love to others throughout eternity.

God does have a plan for you. God loves you and wants you to love others.

There was sermon given by with the Continuing Church of God is titled: What is the meaning of your life?

The sermon contains a lot of information that is not in this post such as a few ways to demonstrate why God’s existence is logical and more about the an individual’s purpose, and even some speculative comments about why people die when they do.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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?
Why Were You Born? Why did God make you? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. You may also wish to read the article What is Your Destiny? or watch the video, also titled What is Your Destiny?
Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist? Who is God?
How is God Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient? Here is a biblical article which answers what many really wonder about it.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
Deification: Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God? What does the Bible teach? Is deification only a weird or cultic idea?
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.

Have you actually studied the scriptures related to the ‘Universal OFFER of Salvation’?

The article Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis has also been translated into the Spanish language to assist those who better understand that language. Here is a link: Oferta universal de salvación: Hay cientos de versículos en la Biblia que apoyan la verdadera doctrina de la Apocatastasis.

The Bible teaches that all are guilty of sin. Yet, most of humanity has never truly repented of those sins. Will “mercy triumph over judgment?” (James 2:13)? There are hundreds of scriptures that support that God will offer salvation to all. For the only place that I am aware of, the grouping of all of them is available in the English (Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis) and Spanish languages (Oferta universal de salvación: Hay cientos de versículos en la Biblia que apoyan la verdadera doctrina de la Apocatastasis).

But are you truly familiar with them?

While some have claimed that believing them is “unorthodox,” even the so-called Eastern Orthodox church tends to accept the general conclusion of them (see also Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God).  The Roman Catholic church used to believe this general idea as well, though it changed (see Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God?).

The Bible clearly teaches that those Gentiles, for example, who have been subject to condemnation will have an opportunity for salvation, but few seem to realize what that means.

To begin with Micah 7:18-19 teaches:

18 Who is a God like You,
Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
19 He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea.

Is your God going to pardon iniquity for a few or nearly all of the guilty?

Notice that Ezekiel 11:16-20 and 36:24-38 both record that God is going to convert many sinners so that they will walk in His statutes:

16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.” ‘ 17 “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” ‘ 18 “And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19 Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God…”

24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!” 33’Thus says the Lord GOD: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. 35 So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 “Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.” 37’Thus says the Lord GOD: “I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them: I will increase their men like a flock. 38 Like a flock offered as holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem on its feast days, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” ‘ “

Notice that the above has never been fulfilled by Israelites going back to the Middle East as God has YET to give them a new heart. Surely God has a plan to offer salvation to those who many now feel are lost.

Notice Daniel 12:2-4:

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase”

The above passage shows that death is like sleep. It also refers to a resurrection to everlasting life and resurrection to shame and to everlasting contempt. Notice that those who are wise will shine and still, after they shall awake, turn many to righteousness. Since they cannot turn those who are raised to everlasting contempt to life, who are they turning to life?

Obviously, those who were dead and not dead in Christ are those that are among the many that are turned to righteousness. Thus, the Bible clearly shows that there is a future offer of salvation past this current life and many will be turned to righteousness–many are then converted.

Jesus taught in Matthew 10:15 that those in Sodom and Gomorrah will do better than those who intentionally reject the message:

14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

If the fate of Sodom is already eternal condemnation, how could it be better for them than for others?

Matthew 11:20-26, notice what Jesus stated:

20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.”

Notice the Jesus clearly teaches that some, like Sodom, will still have a chance and that this knowledge is hidden to many of the wise of this world.

Ezekiel 16:55 teaches that it was known that Sodom would return:

55 When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate (KJV).

What does your church teach is the fate of Sodom? Does it teach that they will have an opportunity for salvation? If not, how do they explain Ezekiel 16:55?

Matthew 12:38-42 teaches:

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

Notice that contrary to the views of what passes as mainstream “Christianity”, there will be a difference in judgment in the end.

Now God destroyed Sodom for its wicked works (Genesis 18:20;19:24)–wicked works, that according to Paul’s writings make it impossible for them to inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21). If what most Protestants believe is correct, then all in Sodom will be destroyed and will be no better off than those in Capernaum–but that is a clear contradiction of what Jesus wrote.

Luke 10:8-15, Jesus taught:

8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ 12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be thrust down to Hades.

Notice that Jesus is holding those to a higher standard who saw miracles and should have understood His message, than those who were idolaters, pagans, and sexually immoral (including those that lived in Sodom). Jesus makes this concept clear in many other passages.

Does your church teach you that it will be more tolerable for certain non-Christians at the judgment than for others? If not, does it really understand the Bible?

Mark 6:10-11, notice what Jesus taught:

10 Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. 11 And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

God completely destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins. Yet, Jesus says that it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than those who had some understanding but would not accept it.

Psalm 90:3 teaches:

3 You turn man to destruction, And say, “Return, O children of men.”

God is teaching that He turned humans over to destruction–He allowed sinners to die–yet notice that He teaches that He is going to have them return. Does your church teach anything like this?

Twenty-six times in its twenty-six verses, Psalm 136 states:

For His mercy endures forever.

Why would God have to repeat that so much if He did not have a plan involving His mercy for more than this age? The expression “His mercy endures forever” is found 41 times in the NKJV and the version “his mercy endureth for ever” is found 33 times in the Douay-Rheims Bible. God wants ALL to realize that He really is merciful. Many who profess Christianity do not understand God’s mercy.

Notice that Psalm 107:1-3 teaches:

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
3 And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.

Thus, God is going to have mercy to those turned over to the enemy (the devil) because God’s mercy endures forever–Ambrose of Milan referred to this verse–and stated “this is the privilege not only of a few” (see article Hope of Salvation). When scripture refers to those gathered from all over in this manner, it often is referring to those who have died. Jesus also alluded to this verse in Matthew 8:10-11:

10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus was teaching that Gentiles will be part of the kingdom. And, I and others believe this means more than just a few.

Psalm 145:14 teaches:

14 The LORD upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down.

It should be clear that is God intending to raise up more than a few who fall.

Psalm 25:8 reveals:

8 Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

Is He only intending to teach a few sinners or all sinners? God is not a respector of persons (Acts 10:34 KJV).

Hebrews 8:11-12, states:

11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Notice that the time is coming when all shall know the LORD. And notice that God is saying that He will forgive their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Does your church understand this?

Isaiah 46:12-13 teaches:

12 “Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, Who are far from righteousness: 13 I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory.

Note, according to the marginal reference in the Nelson Study Bible, page 640, the word linger is perhaps better translated as “delayed.” Hence, God is teaching that those who were “far from righteousness” will have a time when God will not delay salvation, but bring it. This is not just a reference for Gentiles who will come to accept Christ in this age, this is a reference to an age to come.

One of the psalms, Psalm 66:3-4, teaches:

3 Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. 4 All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.

Notice that this is a prophecy. All the earth has not yet worshipped God. All the enemies who would have been alive when that verse was written thousands of years ago have long since died. But this passage shows that they will submit to God. This is considered to be an awesome work through God’s great power. Does the God you worship have the power to offer salvation to all so that even His enemies will submit to Him?

Isaiah 29:13-14, teaches:

13 Therefore the LORD said:

“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work
Among this people,
A marvelous work and a wonder;
For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”

Thus, those who have been deceived by human traditions of false worship can be saved. And many have been! (See Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings).

Also notice the following from Jeremiah 30:9-10:

9. But they shall serve the LORD their God, And David their king, Whom I will raise up for them. 10 ‘Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the LORD,
‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar…

Isaiah 55:1-5 teaches:

1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you–
The sure mercies of David.
4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,
A leader and commander for the people.
5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the LORD your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”

The above is not simply a reference to Gentiles becoming Christians as most Protestant commentators think. It is David that is the witness to the people. This is the same David that is prophecied to rule over the nations of Israel in the future (Ezekiel 37:24; Jeremiah 30:9). Thus, this is a prophecy for a later time. The simple truth is that even after Jesus came, the statement “nations who do not know you shall run to you” has simply not been fulfilled. I know of not one nation, let alone nations, that have run to become true Christians. What has happened is that after Greco-Roman “Christianity” became the religion of the empire, many were forced to become “Christians” and those that have followed them have almost never followed the Christianity of the Bible.

If some of that confuses you, recall that in Isaiah 55:8-11 God teaches that even though we think different than God that His word will not return void:

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Furthermore, notice what Isaiah 56:1-2 teaches:

1. Thus says the LORD:

“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
For My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it;
Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

If the salvation to come is simply the first coming of Jesus, then should not all Christians keep the Sabbath as both salvation and the Sabbath are part of the same quote? Does your church teach that one is “blessed” who does not defile the Sabbath? (You may also wish to read the verses that follow it, like Isaiah 56:3-8 as it makes it clear that foreigners-Gentiles-also are to keep the Sabbath.)

Also, notice the following from Isaiah 66:23:

23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.

Notice that all flesh will worship God on the Sabbath. This has not yet happened.

In Isaiah 57:16-18 it teaches that God will not always be angry and that He will heal the souls He has made:

16 For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him
And to his mourners.

Thus, even those who sinned that God punished (struck) and hid from, God will lead them back! Does your minister proclaim this?

Isaiah 62:1-5 shows:

1 For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns.
2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the LORD will name.
3 You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God.
4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.

Notice that salvation is being discussed and that includes Gentiles and lands that were desolate and that God will delight in them. This is not simply a reference to Gentiles who accept Christ in this age, as they were not referred to in the Hebrew scriptures as “Forsaken”. Versions of the Hebrew term “azuwbah” translated as “Forsaken” are used many times in the Old Testament to refer to Israelites (NOT Gentiles)–God is apparently using that term because most seem to feel that the Gentiles prior to Jesus’ first coming were forsaken–which, however, they were not. Most also seem to feel that most people dwelling in lands that basically do not accept any version of Christ today are in that forsaken category. But again, recall that God states that they are not forsaken. Which means, according to Isaiah 62, that God has a plan of salvation for them.

Also notice that in Isaiah 65:1-5, God declares that even those who eat unclean meat and did not seek God will be called:

1″I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ To a nation that was not called by My name.
2 I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts;
3 A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; Who sacrifice in gardens, And burn incense on altars of brick; 4 Who sit among the graves, And spend the night in the tombs; Who eat swine’s flesh, And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
5 Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.

Notice that these people were not originally called. They even provoked God to anger by eating swine (a biblically unclean animal), but notice that they will find God even though they did not seek Him!

Isaiah 66:17-19 teaches:

17 “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves,
To go to the gardens
After an idol in the midst,
Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse,
Shall be consumed together,” says the LORD.
18 “For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory.
19 I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.

Even though He will punish those who eat unclean meat, notice that they will be gathered and declared God’s glory among the Gentiles. God’s glory among the Gentiles is when He calls them all and offers them salvation. Those who believe in the elitist approach that God is only going to save “good” Roman Catholics and/or Protestants and condemn the vast majority of eaters of unclean meats to fry in torment forever are in clear error.

Romans 8:19-21, Paul states:

19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Notice that the creation was not subjected to futility willingly. And that the creation is waiting to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. The entirety of creation is awaiting apocatastasis.

Hosea 2:23. Here is what a Protestant author wrote on this verse:

God had said that he would name these children as a sign to his people, but there would come a day of restoration:

“And I will have pity on Not-Pitied,
and I will say to Not-My-People,
‘You are my people;’
and he shall say, ‘Thou art my God.'” {Hos 2:23 RSV}

So that even in this time when God was announcing judgment, his grace also was being shown. (Stedman Ray. O.T. Prophetical Books).

That author is correct on that point. God specifically has foretold a time of restoration through the prophets. And those that were not His people, will become His people.

Romans 11:32-33, Paul states:

32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

Notice that God’s plan has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. Also notice that Paul is teaching that God’s mercy and judgment is apparently not easy for most to figure out.

Is it someone’s fault that they were born in an area that no one knew or taught Christ?

Notice that God knew that most would not at first obey, but that He has a plan to have mercy on them.

Romans 11:13-15, Paul states:

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

Notice that Paul is teaching that those being cast away can have acceptance after they are given life from the dead (see also vss 26-27). Paul is clearly teaching what is consisting with the CCOG view of apocatastasis.

God does have marvelous plan of salvation and it is laid out in hundreds of passages in the Bible.

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

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? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account? Related sermon videos include Universal Offer of Salvation I: God is love and Universal Offer of Salvation II: The Age to Come and the ‘Little Flock’ and Universal Offer of Salvation III: All Are to Know Jesus, But When? and Universal Offer of Salvation IV: Will the Guilty be Pardoned? and Universal Offer of Salvation V: All Israel Will be Saved? A version of the main article was also translated in the Spanish language: Oferta universal de salvación: Hay cientos de versículos en la Biblia que apoyan la verdadera doctrina de la Apocatastasis.
COGwriter Position on Other Churches and Religions What is the fate of those who do not know Christ? What about those who profess Christ outside the Church of God?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware!
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed?
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.
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing 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?
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced several YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from c. 31 A.D. to 2014. A related sermon link would be Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce our latest video on our Bible New Prophecy YouTube channel:

10:23

Armageddon

Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel, discusses Armageddon, some of its history, and what the Bible says about it (Revelation 16). Is this the place where forces in the world will gather to fight? Will they fight here or is the related battle somewhere else. Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more.

Here is a link to our video: Armageddon.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? 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? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets, yet many overlook what the Bible teaches about how to recognize a true one. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? This article contains a scripture-based checklist to assist with this determination.
How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God This is a sermon on YouTube addressing a subject that most in the Church of God do not seem to have looked into very much. It discusses scriptures and dispels some improper assertions that some associated with the COG have made about prophets in this time.
Elijah: Past and Prophesied Information about the original Elijah and some information about the Elijah-related prophecies.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 Here is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.
CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.
CCOG.EU This is a website targeted toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God and has articles in español/castellano.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced many YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. And you can find them at that channel.

Vatican City (photo by Joyce Thiel)

COGwriter

January 11th is the feast day of the Church of Rome for a leader called Hyginus. Although the claimed early leaders of Rome in the Catholic “succession lists” refer to him as a pope, that title was not used by leaders there until the latter part of the fourth century.

The generally touted Catholic position is that Hyginus was the ninth pope and that all subsequent leaders of the true church passed through him. Is that correct?

Certain Claims

While visiting the Vatican in 2004, I purchased a book in its basilica museum bookstore titled The Popes: The lives of the pontiffs through 2000 years of history (Lopes A. The Popes: The lives of the pontiffs through 2000 years of history. Futura Edizoni, Roma, 1997). The book states that it is sponsored by the “Pontifical Administration, which has tutelage over the Patriarchal Basilica of St. Peter”.

It makes many claims about the early “bishops” of Rome including this about Hyginus:

9. HYGINUS, ST. (136-140) Born in Athens, he was considered a philosopher and he behaved like one…During the baptism of children, he ordered the presence of a godfather or a godmother who would guide and direct them in leading a Christian life. He ordered that churches should be dedicated. His pontificate was marked by persecution and his martyrdom (Lopes A. The Popes: The lives of the pontiffs through 2000 years of history. Futura Edizoni, Roma, 1997, p. 3).

The Catholic Encyclopedia notes this about him:

The ancient authorities contain no information as to his having died a martyr (Kirsch J.P. Transcribed by Joseph P. Thomas.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).

There is also no evidence that he came up with godparents or requiring churches to be dedicated. Actually, these are unlikely to have been done then. . Essentially, the Roman Catholics now teach that the godparent repents and accepts Christ on the behalf of infants that they baptize—godparents are part of the justification they have for infant baptism (please see article on Baptism).

For example, The Catholic Encyclopedia notes:

When infants are solemnly baptized, persons assist at the ceremony to make profession of the faith in the child’s name. This practice comes from antiquity and is witnessed to by Tertullian, St. Basil, St. Augustine, and others. Such persons are designated sponsores, offerentes, susceptores, fidejussores, and patrini. The English term is godfather and godmother, or in Anglo-Saxon, gossip (Fanning W.H.W. Transcribed by Charles Sweeney, S.J. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume II. Copyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York).

Note that Hyginus is not listed as coming up with this as many Catholic scholars realize that there simply was no record that he did.

It is of interest to note that:

…the Gnostic Valentine came to Rome in Hyginus’s time, remaining there until Anicetus (Ibid).

According the Catholic historian Eusebius, it was Polycarp of Smyrna who had to deal with that heretic as Hyginus apparently did not. This helps show that it was the leadership in Asia Minor, which at that time was clearly “Church of God,” that dealt with various heresies and heretics that the Church of Rome tolerated.

According to Tertullian, the Church of Rome tolerated Valentinus for decades after he was denounced by Polycarp of Smyran.

Easter Sunday

Although most who profess Christianity now celebrate it, Easter-Sunday was not observed by the second century Christians in Asia Minor. They observed Passover.

However, beginning with possibly the Roman leader Telesphorus or possibly Hyginus (or possibly Sixtus, there are no contemporaneous records, only an unclear report 5-6 decades later written by Irenaeus), what is now called Easter began to be observed in Rome. First, it was apparently a change in date of Passover from the 14th of Nisan to a Sunday. This is believed to have happened because there was a rebellion by Jews and that any distancing between Jews and Christians seemed physically advantageous (at least to some in Rome and the Greeks in Jerusalem). It was due to cowardice and antisemitism that the Sunday date was chosen (the fact that cowards often were killed anyway, does not prove they were not cowards

The late SDA scholar Samuele Bacchiocchi noted that the change to Easter-Sunday and to a weekly Sunday was due to persecution (the new Gentile hierarchy he is referring to are Greek bishops in Jerusalem, which took over after the rebellion was crushed):

The actual introduction of Easter-Sunday appears to have occurred earlier in Palestine after Emperor Hadrian ruthlessly crushed the Barkokeba revolt (A.D. 132-135)…

The fact that the Passover controversy arose when Emperor Hadrian adopted new repressive measures against Jewish religious practices suggests that such measures influenced the new Gentile hierarchy to change the date of Passover from Nisan 14 to the following Sunday (Easter-Sunday) in order to show separation and differentiation from the Jews and the Jewish Christians…

A whole body of Against the Jews literature was produced by leading Fathers who defamed the Jews as a people and emptied their religious beliefs and practices of any historical value. Two major causalities of the anti-Jewish campaign were Sabbath and Passover. The Sabbath was changed to Sunday and Passover was transferred to Easter-Sunday.

Scholars usually recognize the anti-Judaic motivation for the repudiation of the Jewish reckoning of Passover and adoption of Easter-Sunday instead. Joachim Jeremias attributes such a development to “the inclination to break away from Judaism.” In a similar vein, J.B. Lightfoot explains that Rome and Alexandria adopted Easter-Sunday to avoid “even the semblance of Judaism” (Bacchiocchi S. God’s Festival in Scripture and History. Biblical Perspectives. Befriend Springs (MI), 1995, pp. 101,102,103).

It is likely that if Telesphorus made this change at the time to attempt to distance himself from the Jews in Rome. If he was the one who did it, and if he thought that this would spare his life, he was wrong as he was later killed by the Roman authorities (circa 136 A.D.). On the other hand, it is perhaps more likely that Hyginus, who was also possibly Greek that decided to introduce the Passover Sunday tradition, perhaps to decrease the wrath of the anti-Jewish Roman authorities.

Since Anicetus’ account claimed that this practice was began by presbyters who preceded him (see Easter), it would need to have been no later than the Greeks Telesphorus or Hyginus, as they were followed by Pius who was then followed by Anicetus (it probably did not originate with Sixtus as he preceded Telesphorus, he was not believed to have been Greek, and he was dead, if he even existed, circa 125 A.D.).

It is probable that Hyginus either began, continued, or started the practice of observing Passover on a Sunday, but there is no specific information that proves he did. But if he did, he obviously is not someone who should be celebrated by Christians as the Bible teaches that Passover was held on the 14th of Nisan.

Historical records demonstrate that the Apostles John and Philip, as well as their spiritual descendants in Asia Minor, did not change or compromise on this point–they continued to follow the Bible. But Hyginus might have compromised, and the Church of Rome at some point in time most certainly did.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Apostolic Succession What really happened? Did structure and beliefs change? Are many of the widely-held current understandings of this even possible? Did you know that Catholic scholars really do not believe that several of the claimed “apostolic sees” of the Orthodox have apostolic succession–despite the fact that the current pontiff himself seems to wish to ignore this view? Is there actually a true church that has ties to any of the apostles that is not part of the Catholic or Orthodox churches? Read this article if you truly are interested in the truth on this matter!
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.
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?
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?
Baptism and the Early Church Was it by immersion? Did it include infants? Does Polycarp prove infant baptism?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from c. 31 A.D. to 2014. A related sermon link would be Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.
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?