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COGwriter

People die, even Christians.

Why?

Does the Bible give answers to that?

Yes.

The first time scripture mentions death is in the first book of the Bible:

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

Adam ended up eating from that tree (Genesis 3:6) and died (Genesis 5:5).

The New Testament teaches:

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)

So, the Bible says because of sin, humans will die.

But the Bible also teaches that God has a plan for eternal life through Jesus.

So while death happens to all flesh, it is not the end.

Death, itself, is like sleep–thus the dead are NOT suffering right now.

The idea that death is like sleep is what Jesus Himself taught:

18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”

19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. 20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.

21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”

22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, 24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him.

25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land. (Matthew 9:18-26)

49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”

50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” 53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.

54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. (Luke 8:49-55)

11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead” (John 11:11-14).

In each of the above cases, the person was dead, but basically because this was NOT the permanent, second, death. Jesus said the person was sleeping. All who sleep in the grave will be resurrected and hear His voice (John 5:28). Jesus showed a foretaste of this by resurrecting those He did.

Related to death being like sleep, notice what some of what the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (1 Corinthians 11:29-30)

12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up — if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. (1 Corinthians 15:12-23)

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).

14 Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” (Ephesians 5:14)

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.  (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Christians are to be comforted by God’s plan, which includes the dead being asleep until they are resurrected.

But why death?

Because sin is horrible and is not good for the sinner.

“Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4, KJV). “Now the purpose of the commandment is love” (1 Timothy 1:5). “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12; cf. Deuteronomy 10:13).

Sin oppose love, distorts reality, causes corruption, and harms character.

Why do people die when they do?

The Bible teaches:

1 The righteous perishes,
And no man takes it to heart;
Merciful men are taken away,
While no one considers
That the righteous is taken away from evil.
2 He shall enter into peace;
They shall rest in their beds,
Each one walking in his uprightness. (Isaiah 57:1-2)

Notice that when God’s people die, they rest. As other scriptures show, death is like sleep.

Why do they die when they do?

Because they die when it is best for them.

It may be best because they will cease physical suffering.

It may be because negative events are coming that they would be best to avoid.

It may be because they refuse to properly repent further.

It would seem to be when that have learned/experienced what they need which will help them after they are resurrected.

The Book of Ecclesiastes teaches:

1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time to be born,
And a time to die; (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)

17 Do not be overly wicked,
Nor be foolish:
Why should you die before your time?  (Ecclesiastes 7:17)

While there is a time to die, notice that foolishness and wickedness can have one die earlier than what would otherwise happen.

Death may be best because they would ‘backslide’ more into wrong attitudes of sin if they did not die when they did so they do not commit what in known as the unpardonable sin.

We are to to grow and overcome:

18 … grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)

11 … He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. (Revelation 2:7,11)

God want none to experience the second death and perish.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9)

Yes, God will allow the flesh to perish to save the spirit. That is consistent with the following from the Psalms:

11 When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,
You make his beauty melt away like a moth;
Surely every man is vapor. Selah (Psalm 39:11)

The above is consistent with God using melting away through aging and/or illness followed by dying to correct. The Hebrew word Selah means “pause” and death is merely a pause for Christians until they can gain eternal life.

Another reason death comes to God’s people is that may be best because they have built all the character that they will be able to build in this life.

The New Testament teaches:

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

All things would include death.

Notice also:

13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
14 From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
15 He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.  (Psalm 33:13-15)

God considers all our works and has all work together best for us.

Because of that, it has long been my view that God has people die when it is spiritually best for them as well as for those who knew the deceased.

God is love (1 John 4:8,16).

What God does and allows is ALWAYS motivated by love–EVEN IF WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9).

Love is why He sent Jesus to die for us:

16 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. (John 3:16)

While there is sorrow with the sting of death, that is not the end. At risk of partial repeat, notice:

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.  (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)

We do not labor in vain. The Book of Hebrews backs that up:

9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:9-10)

Notice the following from our free online book: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You?

Everything God has done He has had a reason for (Ezekiel 14:23). Including the length of our lives, which is usually a mystery for us (cf. Ecclesiastes 9:12).

“Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22) as He has fantastic reasons for everything He does—even when it does not always seem that way to us (cf. Hebrews 12:11; Romans 8:28).

Many have erroneously judged God based on their own conclusions, yet the Bible also teaches:

⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)

Some things have been hidden. We also do not know everything about any human.

All people are not the same. God has an individual plan for each of us (1 Corinthians 12:4-12).

The dead in Christ will be resurrected. This should be of comfort to all true believers.

People die because of sin, but they die when they do because that is the best time for them to die, as well as for those affected by their death.

The resurrection is real and will happen.

The dead are not suffering, but are asleep.

UPDATE 03/26/24 : We just uploaded the following related video:

14:42

Why Do People Die?

What does the Bible teach about death? Why do people die? Do all die in Adam? Are the wages of sin death? What is sin? Why do righteous people die? Are people who are dead suffering or are they merely sleeping in their graves awaiting the resurrection? Did Jesus die so we can live again? Is there a time to die? Do people die at the time it is best for them as well as others affected by their death? Does this have biblical support? Is death one of “all things that work together for good”? Can death be a form of correction and/or and end of suffering from God? What about the second death? If we are to be resurrected, why die in the first place? Can this mortal put on immortality and this corruptible put on incorruption? What about love and John 3:16? Is there really a glorious eternity ahead? Should we be comforted by prophecies of Jesus’ return and the resurrection? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Why Do People Die?

While there is sorrow, death fits as part of God’s loving plan for you and all others.

And that plan results in the resurrected Christian to be able to give love in a unique way to make the universe better for themself and every one else.

A glorious eternity is ahead.

Do not let the death of people dissuade you as the Bible also teaches that death will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26) and there will be no more death, nor sorrow, or crying” (Revelation 21:4).

More on God’s loving plan can be found in the free online book: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You?

Those interested in early Christianity may wish to check out the following to learn more:

What Happens After Death? Is death like sleep, or is that a cultic idea? Can you speak to the dead? Here is a link to a related sermon: What really happens after death?
A Better Resurrection Is it better to be called now? Is it better to be Philadelphian? Here is a link to a related sermon: The Better Resurrection.
What Did Early Christians Understand About the Resurrections? Is there more than one future resurrection? Did early Christians teach a physical resurrection? Did early Christians teach three resurrections? Here is a link to a related sermon: Understanding the Resurrections.
The Second Death The New Testament speaks of something called the “second death.” Who will be subject to it? How does it end? Here is a link to a related sermon: First death, Second death.
Study the Bible Course Lesson 15: What is “Hell”? What are the different words translated as “hell” in English? Does Gehenna mean something different than Hades. What happens? What about worms dying not?
Are The Wicked Tormented Forever or Burned Up? How does one explain Revelation 14:11 in light of Malachi 4:3? What happens to the incorrigibly wicked?
Did Early Christians Teach They Were Going to Heaven? What do the Bible and scholars teach? What about ‘near-death experiences’? Here is a link to a related sermon: Heaven and Christianity. A shorter video is Dante Aligheri’s Inferno, Heaven, and The Real Hope.
Did Early Christians Believe that Humans Possessed Immortality? What does John 3:16, and other writings, tell us? Did a doctrine kept adopted from paganism? Here is a YouTube video titled Are humans immortal?
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair?, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, Mystery of Race, and The Mystery of YOU. Here is a link to two videos in Spanish: El Misterio del Plan de Dios and El Misterio de Satanás, el Misterio de la Verdad, el Misterio del Reposo.

COGwriter

Could Jesus have sinned?

The late Garner Ted Armstrong had an article with that title. Here is some of what he wrote about that:

Was Christ unable to sin? Was there no struggle involved in His 33 1/2 years of tabernacling in human flesh? Today, some are plunging into error, teaching that it was utterly impossible for Christ to commit sin. If this is true, then you and I have no Savior! Here is what your Bible says.

Who was Jesus Christ? Was He God? Was He merely human? Was He some mixture of both?

If He was GOD, then was it impossible for Him to sin? If He was human, could He have sinned? …

 He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM!”

Jesus, then, was GOD. He was a Member of the great, Divine FAMILY, we call, in our English language, “GOD.” He was One of the ELOHIM of Genesis, the first chapter. Was He also human? …

Notice: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death [the penalty for sins], crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2: 9). Christ was made human. One of the greatest of all reasons for this miraculous fact was that He should “taste death” for every man.

Christ was subject to death. He was a living human being, with muscular, nervous, respiratory, digestive, circulatory systems. His life of about thirty three and one-half years on this earth was sustained by food, water, and air. Notice further:

“Forasmuch then as the children [of God] are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy [annul, counterwork, or restrain] him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

“And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

“For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.

“Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:9-18).

These verses clearly set forth the humanity of Christ. His genealogies from Adam and the “seed of Abraham,” are contained in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. He was to be like a Branch from the root of Jesse, David’s father (Isaiah 11: 1-5). …

Jesus Christ was made flesh (John 1: 14; Hebrews 2:17). John wrote, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

“And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God…” (1 John 4:2,3).

How did Christ come in the flesh?

By one of the greatest of all miracles, the Creator of both the macrocosm and the microcosm; Who dwells in eternity; Who lives in a completely different, spiritual dimension, emptiedHimself, and became a tiny, human life—a microscopic, zygote,” to develop into a fetus, to grow into a human baby, in the womb of Mary!

God’s Word says,

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

“Who, being in the form of God [prior to His human existence], thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

“But made Himself of no reputation [or, “emptied Himself”], and took upon Him the form of a servant [human form!], and was made in the likeness of men:

“And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the stake [Greek: stauros—stake, or upright pale, not “cross”]. Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth;

“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord [Master, Ruler], to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11).

Jesus Christ was very God, Who had become human; Who had become human flesh, of the seed of Abraham, just like you and me, like any other human being.

Christ called Himself not only the Son of God, but the son of MAN repeatedly. …

This great CREATOR, this Logos, or “Executive Spokesman” of the Godhead, “emptied Himself” of His Divine power (Philippians 2:5-8) to become a tiny, microscopic human fetus in the womb of the Virgin Mary!

By a stupendous miracle, God had become human flesh. So says your Bible. Christ was human, yet was God in the flesh.

Then, since He was also God in the flesh, was Christ absolutely impervious to sin? Was it IMPOSSEBLE for Christ to commit sin? …

“And when the tempter [Satan] came to Him, he said, ‘If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread”‘ (Matthew 4:3).

This was a clever, two-pronged temptation. First, Satan probed to see if Christ would respond with anger, to see if there was any human vanity present—for Satan had suggested Jesus Christ was not really Who He said He was! “If you are the Son of God,” Satan subtly suggested.

Christ was now extremely close to God. He had divested Himself of earthly concerns, fasting and praying for 40 days. He very powerfully felt the nearness of God, His Father. He did not allow Satan’s oily suggestions to anger Him.

The second part of this temptation was Satan’s attempt to couple his suggestion of doubt about Christ’s identity and authority with His terrible hunger! By “proving” to Satan Who He was, He could also satisfy His gnawing, painful hunger!

Was Jesus tempted?

That is the whole point of this biblical account Yes, He was tempted. …

God’s Word says Christ was sorely tempted to sin. “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

“For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points TEMPTED like as we are, yet without sin.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

The only difference between Christ’s temptations and our own is that He was “yet without sin”! Otherwise, our temptations are the same as Christ’s. Study that scripture carefully. It shows us our High Priest in heaven can be touched (moved, concerned—having empathy) with the feelings we experience as we struggle against Satan’s world, against our own human natures, against the myriad temptations that surround us. …

Christ was tempted. Therefore, He experienced desire in many directions, which, if He had followed those temptations to their ultimate conclusion in either thought or deed, He would have committed sin! But He overcame each temptation as it occurred! https://www.garnertedarmstrong.org/could-jesus-have-sinned/ accessed 03/18/24

Back in 2008, I posted:

Some serious students of the Bible understand that Jesus was not “fully human and fully God”, which is a major position held by most trinitarians.

There are four major claims to support that position:

1. The Bible shows that Jesus emptied Himself of His Divinity while in the flesh. 2 Corinthians 8:9 teaches that Jesus became poor, yet God is rich (Haggai 2:8). Philippians 2:7 specifically teaches, “…Christ Jesus, who subsisting in (the) form of God thought (it) not robbery to be equal to God, but emptied Himself, taking (the) form of a slave, becoming in (the) likeness of men” (Literal translation. Green J.P. ed. Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, 3rd ed. Baker Books, Grand Rapids (MI), 1996, p. 607). Note that “emptied Himself” is the literal translation in the Greek. Thus Jesus was not fully God (though God in the flesh) when He became a human.

2. Since Jesus repeatedly taught that He of Himself “could do nothing” prior to His resurrection (John 5:19,30;8:28), that He claimed He had “[a]ll authority” after the resurrection (Matthew 28:18), He was not fully God when He could do nothing.

3. The Bible states that Jesus was tempted in all points as humans are (Hebrews 4:15) and that “God cannot be tempted by evil” (James 1:13). “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren” (Hebrews 2:17). Since “scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35) He could not have been fully God while in the flesh.

4. Jesus was not called God in the flesh until after His resurrection (John 20:28).

Thus while Jesus was what God would be like in the flesh, He simply was not fully God then. Also, the idea of being both FULLY human and FULLY God at the same time is contradiction that a logically is not possible.

By being empty of His divinity, Jesus simply did not have the direct powers (John 14:10), the inability to somehow die (and the Father raised him, He did not raise Himself–Acts 13:30-34; Romans 10:9; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 2:12), the inability to be tempted (Matthew 4:1; Hebrews 4:15), and the glory that He had prior to His human birth and after His resurrection–thus Jesus was not “fully God and fully human” while in the flesh as the trinitarians tend to believe. The fact that Jesus actually died, and that one who is fully God cannot, also shows that Jesus was not “fully God” while on Earth.

Although I have heard some Protestant theologians improperly attempt to ignore what Paul taught in Philippians, perhaps the strangest one, was one who after admitting that kenosis (a word used in Philippians 2:7) means to empty, actually then stated that Jesus could not sin, and Jesus was God according to James 1:13. Let’s look at that passage from James to see what it actually states:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone (James 1:13).

Notice that verse says that God cannot be tempted.  However, the Greek word for tempted (peirazo) is the same as the one used in Hebrews:

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

Thus, there is a contradiction in the Protestant theologian’s logic here.

By comparing James 1:13 to Hebrews 4:15 it is clear that since the Bible shows Jesus was tempted on earth (and this is repeated in many places in the New Testament) and that God cannot be tempted, that while on earth, Jesus was not fully God (though God in the flesh). Jesus was not God with all the godly attributes – but God in the flesh. God in the flesh is limited to the flesh. God in the flesh is subject to temptation to sin. The Word, prior to emptying Himself, was God Unlimited. While on earth He was limited, yet still God – but God in the flesh.

The main difference between He and us is that He had the Holy Spirit without measure, from birth.

Since we humans can sin, either Jesus was capable of sinning (which He was) or He was not tempted as we are.  This also demonstrates that while on earth, Jesus was not fully God. However, as scripture shows, Jesus now is God–and was prior to His incarnation. It is a clear biblical truth that Jesus emptied Himself of His divinity to become a man prior to the resurrection.

Perhaps it should be noted that even what is believed to be the most ancient Christian complete sermon ever found, teaches that Jesus was Spirit and became flesh:

If Christ, the Lord who saved us, became flesh (even though he was originally spirit) and in that state called us…(Holmes M.W. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, 2nd ed, 9:5. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2004, p. 115).

This ancient sermon is saying that Jesus was originally spirit and became flesh like us! Thus, confirming the general binitarian position that Jesus, in fact, did fully empty Himself of His divinity while on Earth.

Many people, sadly, have been deceived about the nature of the Godhead. (Thiel B. CEM’s Ron Dart: “Jesus was tempted in all points like we are”. COGwriter, January 30, 2008)

Of course, it is clear from the New Testament that Jesus never did sin:

 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; (1 Peter 2:22)

Notice that we are follow Jesus example and not sin. And what is sin? How do you avoid it?

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4)

10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. (John 15:10)

Jesus kept God’s commandments, and did not sin–we should strive to follow and imitate Him (see also 1 Corinthians 11:1).

Remember:

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

Since we can sin if tempted, the only way that Jesus could be tempted like us is if He could have sinned. But, of course, He did not.

Now one reason to post about this is that I recently noticed that a couple of websites run by anti-COG people, who fell away from the truth and argue against it, have claimed that it is blasphemous to say that Jesus could have sinned.

The argument, which is consistent with other errors of trinitarianism, is that since Jesus supposedly was fully human and fully God, since God cannot sin, Jesus, who is God, could not.

The Apostle John warned about those who did not realize that Jesus really came in the flesh:

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (I John 4:1-3).

This scripture states that the ‘spirit of Antichrist’ is not confessing that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh and that apparently some of antichrist’s teachings began when John was still alive. These verses also tie in the idea that false prophets have the spirit of Antichrist.  Thus it would seem that the final Antichrist would be a false prophet (like the one mentioned in scriptures such as Revelation 16:13). Again these are religious leaders that John identifies with Antichrist.

The Gnostic heretic named Valentinus was probably the first to introduce some version of the Greco-Roman trinity amongst those who professed Christ.

Notice something else he also taught according to Clement of Alexandria:

They blaspheme against the will of God and the mystery of creation in speaking evil of birth. This is the ground upon which Docetism is held by Cassian and by Marcion also, and on which even Valentine indeed teaches that Christ’s body was “psychic.” (Clement’s Stromata, Book III, in English, Chapter XVII, Verse 102. The Library of Christian Classics: Volume II, Alexandrian Christianity: Selected Translations of Clement and Origine with Introduction and Notes by John Ernest Leonard Oulton, D.D., Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Dublin; Chancellor of St. Patrick’s and Henry Chadwick, B.D., Fellow and Dean of Queens’ College Cambridge, Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1954. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/clement-stromata-book3-english.html viewed 04/03/12)

Notice that Valentinus, Marcion (see also Marcion: The First Protestant?), and others denied that Jesus came in the flesh. According to scripture, that is a doctrine of antichrist (2 John 7). According to Irenaeus, both Valentinus and Marcion were denounced by Polycarp (see Polycarp of Smyrna: The Heretic Fighter).

Even Tertullian partially recognized that when he wrote:

Marcion…alleges Christ to be a phantom. Except, indeed, that this opinion of his will be sure to have others to maintain it in his precocious and somewhat abortive Marcionites, whom the Apostle John designated as antichrists, when they denied that Christ was come in the flesh; not that they did this with the view of establishing the right of the other god (for on this point also they had been branded by the same apostle), but because they had started with assuming the incredibility of an incarnate God. (Tertullian. Against Marcion, Book III, Chapter 8. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 3. Edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2005 by K. Knight)

The current Greco-Roman Catholic and Protestant accepted trinity also denies that Jesus really came in the flesh. And while the final Antichrist will turn away of aspects of Greco-Roman teachings (cf. Revelation 13) and help betray Rome (Revelation 17), he will for a while promote doctrines such as the Greco-Roman trinity.

For proof of the idea that Jesus was fully human and fully God, a list of scriptures was cited at the anti-COG website. But none in the list were actually quoted (this reminded me of something that the Protestants Jerry Jenkins and the late Tim Lahaye did when they falsely claimed that their ‘rapture’ and Jesus’ second coming were supposedly two separate events–for details on that, check out the article: Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected?).

Anyway, since we in the Continuing Church of God accept that Jesus was human after being born of Mary until His resurrection, I will not go over the list of “human” scriptures for Jesus that one website had. But let’s look at each of the scriptures that were cited at https://exitsupportnetwork.com/is-the-holy-spirit-only-the-power-of-god/#Two to supposedly prove Jesus was fully God at the same time.

The first two scriptures cited were:

• 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2)
• 11 And after they came into the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary; and they fell down and worshiped Him.

Yes, they worshipped Jesus as King of the Jews.

The next scripture was:

• 33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:33)

Yes, Jesus was the Son of God.

The next scripture was:

• 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; (Mark 1:1)

Yes, Jesus was the Son of God.

The next scripture was:

• 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

Yes, Jesus was fully divine again after His resurrection, which is what the above relates to.

The next scripture was:

• 8 But to the Son He says:

  “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
  A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

Yes, Jesus will rule on the throne forever. But He was not doing so on the earth.

The next scripture was:

• 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59)

Yes, after He was resurrected people prayed to Jesus.

The next scripture was:

• 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. (John 21:17)

Yes, the resurrected Jesus knows all things.

The next scripture was:

• 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:28)

Jesus will give His faithful followers eternal life after they are resurrected per 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, this has not yet happened.

The next scripture was:

• 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:10)

Now, that list left off verse 10 which shows that it related to the post-resurrected Jesus, not Jesus when on earth. How else can you know that for sure?

Well, because Jesus said, “I can of Myself do nothing” (John 5:30). If He had “all principality and power” on the earth, He would not have said He could do nothing.

Anyway, we see that none of the scriptures cited that were supposed to prove Jesus was fully God between His birth and prior to His resurrection are proof.

The other reality is that Jesus died.

If He were fully God, He could not have been tempted as we are.

But Jesus was allowed to die as well as be tempted. But, while He could have sinned, He did not sin.

More about Jesus can also be found in our free book, online at ccog.org, Proof Jesus is the Messiah.

Some items of related interest may include:

Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book. We also have the book translated in the Spanish PRUEBA de que JESÚS es el MESÍAS and French PREUVES QUE JÉSUS EST LE MESSIE languages.
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 Roman 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?
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: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Jesus is God, But Became Flesh Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what? Here is information in the Spanish language¿Es Jesucristo Dios?.
Virgin Birth: Does the Bible Teach It? What does the Bible teach? What is claimed in The Da Vinci Code?
Why Does Jesus Have Two Different Genealogies listed in Matthew 1 and Luke 3? Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38 seemingly list two different genealogies for Jesus. Why? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Por qué Jesús tiene dos genealogías diferentes las cuales aparecen en Mateo 1 y Lucas 3?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view? A related sermon is available: Truth about the Holy Spirit: What THEY do not want you to know!
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD. Two related sermons are available: Trinity: Fundamental to Christianity or Something Else? and The Godhead and the Trinity. A brief video is also available: Three trinitarian scriptures?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it? Here is a link to a related sermon: Unitarianism? How is God One?
Did the Archangel Michael become Jesus? The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach this, and SDA Ellen White did, but does the Bible allow for this? Here is a link to a related video message: Is Jesus the Archangel Michael? Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Se convirtió el Arcángel Miguel en Jesús?
How Many Creators? Did the ancient Mayans know the truth about the Godhead at creation?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a longer article than the Binitarian View article, and has a little more information on binitarianism, and less about unitarianism. A related sermon is also available: Binitarian view of the Godhead.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences. These sermons also cover materials not in the book. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! [Português: Esperança do salvação: Como a igreja do deus difere da maioria de protestantes].
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.

(United Nations’ Twitter heading for the International Day of Happiness)

COGwriter

March 20th is designated International Happiness Day by the United Nations.

Israel365News posted the following:

March 20, 2024

he United States (23) dropped out of the top 20 for the first time since the World Happiness Report was first published in 2012.

Israel is the 5th happiest place on Earth, according to the World Happiness Report 2024, released on Wednesday. The findings are powered by data from the Gallup World Poll and based on six factors—social support, income, health, freedom, generosity and absence of corruption.

Finland topped the list for the seventh successive year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Israel, which dropped one position compared to 2023. Rounding out the Top 10 were the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Australia.

Notably, the United States (23) dropped out of the top 20 for the first time since the World Happiness Report was first published in 2012, driven by a large drop in the well-being of Americans under 30. https://israel365news.com/388109/israel-ranked-5th-happiest-country-in-the-world/

Here is something related to International Happiness Day itself:

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS

HAPPIER TOGETHER

20th March 2024

March 20th is the UN International Day of Happiness

---

HAPPIER TOGETHER

At this time of uncertainty and conflict, this year’s ‘Happier Together’ theme reminds us that lasting happiness comes from feeling connected to others and being part of something bigger. https://www.dayofhappiness.net/

International Day of Happiness is a global event arranged by the United Nations annually on March 20. https://nationaltoday.com/international-day-happiness/

International Day of Happiness

March 20

What is the International Day of Happiness? It’s a day to be happy, of course! Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness as a way to recognise the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world. In 2015, the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that seek to end poverty, reduce inequality, and protect our planet three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness. Last year, the Smurfs rallied behind the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the International Day of Happiness. https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/international-day-of-happiness-2021/

International Day of Happiness is an opportunity for business leaders to reflect on the connections between happiness, productivity, and growth—in their own lives, and the lives of their organizations. …

The U.N.’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network issues an annual World Happiness Report, using a variety of measures to gauge the overall happiness of nations around the world. Last year’s report found the U.S. ranking had fallen from third place in 2007 to 18^th place. …

Start with gratitude

Leading researchers in health and positive psychology have found that simple gratitude practices can dramatically improve our sense of well-being and our physical health. Such practices can include keeping a gratitude journal and making a habit of thanking employees and colleagues for their efforts. https://www.forbes.com/sites/nazbeheshti/2019/03/20/why-is-the-u-s-losing-ground-in-happiness-what-we-can-do-today-on-international-day-of-happiness/#2e79aaa451cd

As far as gratitude goes, we have a sermon related to giving thanks that is available: Ingratitude and Giving Thanks.

As far as happiness goes, the old Worldwide Church of God had an article about happiness by Charles F. Vinson in the January 1973 edition of old the Plain Truth magazine:

How MANY times have you thought, I’d be happy , if only . … “? The daydream usually continues with ” If only I had more money,” or, “if only I had married someone else,” or, “if only I could change jobs,” or, “if only I had better health.”

Always “if only.”

Is happiness the impossible dream? Why does it always seem to be some- where around the corner , off in the vague future , but never really right now?

Certainly there are reasons enough for the world’s all-too-common victims of war, disease, hunger and poverty to be less than satisfied with living. But what makes most Americans, Britons, Japanese, Germans – peoples who, in the main, enjoy a higher degree of human comfort than most of the other peoples of the world – so often dissatisfied, unfulfilled, empty and discouraged? Why can’t these people be happy?

The answer is deceptively simple. No one has ever told them how to achieve happiness.

What’s Your Concept?

Most human beings have little difficulty conjuring up their own purple-hued vision of the ultimate in human existence – very often a pleasing combination of wealth, status and power, with freedom from frustration, both mentally and sexually. If this vaguely fits your concept of happiness, you really ought to consider whether or not this “vision of Valhalla ” is a truly worthwhile goal.

One way to find out is to examine the lives of men who have actually lived under such conditions – and to see where it got them. One of the best examples historically is King Solomon, a real-life figure widely noted throughout the ancient world for his fantastic wealth and wisdom.

Solomon had everything going for him. His father, King David, had at great effort and cost subdued the worst of the neighboring war-hungry tribes and had established a measure of peace in the Kingdom of Israel. After David’s death, Solomon stepped into a situation few men have ever had the opportunity to experience – limitless wealth at his personal disposal, a conditional promise of blessings from God and the gift of unparalleled wisdom, also given by God. Gossip undoubtedly circulated far and wide in that ancient world about Solomon’s fantastic kingdom.

Foreign royalty paid him state visits to see if what they heard was really true.

It was. What they found in the City of David only served to reinforce the Solomonic legend, even though the truth needed no embellishment. According to the Biblical record published in Second Chronicles , chapters six through nine, Solomon possessed enough wealth and power to luxuriate in a life-style making notorious penthouse-dwellers of today seem poverty-stricken by comparison.

A Catalog of Wealth

On a yearly basis, Solomon received 666 talents of gold, or about 960,000 ounces. That amounts to something like $33,600,000 in gold per year at the old rate of $35 per ounce {$1,248,000,000 per year presuming a gold value of $1300 per ounce which it has been in the 21st century}.

There are … individuals today whose yearly assets … exceed that figure on paper, but this was the real thing – solid gold. It was reputedly so common, in fact, that Solomon didn’t bother to buy certain items for himself. He had them made from his gold. His throne was made of imported ivory overlaid with gold. None of his drinking vessels were made of silver. It was simply too common, assertedly as common as ordinary rock (I Kings 10:27).

Solomon imported finery from all parts of the world. His navy reported to him each year, bringing him more gold, silver, ivory and rare animals. In a triumph of understatement, I Kings 10:23 says that Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. State visits involved extravagant exchanges of gifts. When the famous Queen of Sheba for instance, came to investigate the fabulous rumors she had heard about Solomon, she brought along 120 talents of gold, a “very great store” of spices and precious stones to boot. Nearby friendly King Hiram, who lived on the Mediterranean coast, used his ships to bring Solomon gold from Ophir, as well as large amounts of rare wood and precious stones.

However, money really wasn’t everything. The Bible says that Solomon loved “many strange women” (I Kings 11:1). That is another magnificent understatement. Solomon kept seven hundred bona-fide wives plus three hundred concubines. To impress these wives, he commanded a personal army of charioteers – 1,400 chariots, to be exact, and twelve thousand horsemen. He even built special cities for these men, and imported their horses from Egypt. To keep his wives happy, he also ordered the best of imported fabrics (I Kings 10:28- 29).

But Was He Happy?

In addition, Solomon, being king and all-powerful, could of course do anything he desired – which is precisely what he set about to do. Later on, he wrote a book about his exploits called Ecclesiastes.

In this book, Solomon relates how he experimented with nearly every- thing under the sun to see what might make him happy. Nonstop entertainment soon grew tiresome. “But I found that this, too, was futile. For it is silly to be laughing all the time; what good does it do?” (Eccl. 2:2, The Living Bible.) He mentions taking up drinking to see if happiness could be found in a bottle. Happiness wasn’t, but morning-after headaches probably were. He constructed monuments to himself in the form of immense and beautiful public works. They were impressive and undoubtedly provided a great ego-trip, but they seem to have made him no happier. He built elaborate houses for himself and constructed temples for the gods of his favorite pagan wives. He raised vineyards and conducted experiments in his botanical gardens on all kinds of rare trees and plants. He constructed waterworks to irrigate the nearby arid land. Most of this is described in Ecclesiastes, chapter two.

He stated matter of factly, “I became greater than any of the kings in Jerusalem before me, and with it all I remained clear-eyed, so that I could evaluate all these things.” This, admittedly, sounds like shades of Muhammad Ali, the boastful American heavyweight boxer, but it was the literal truth. He also confessed that “anything I wanted, I took, and did not restrain myself from any joy” (Eccl. 2:9-10, The Living Bible).

In short, Solomon had fame, money, and wisdom – every physical blessing there was to have. He tried everything there was to try – at least, all he could think of – and he had whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it. It was all paid for. He lacked absolutely nothing in the way of human comfort.

Unfortunately, Solomon was miserable. He admitted it himself . “So now I hate life because it is all so irrational; all is foolishness, chasing the wind” (Eccl. 2:17, The Living Bible).

Why on earth would a man who had everything, including an unrestricted and enormously varied sex life, be so fed up with living that he felt like committing suicide?

The truth is that Solomon knew what would have made him happy – but he ignored it. Had he paid more attention to it, he could have lived a life more like the happier, fulfilled and rewarding existence of another man who lived almost a thousand years later.

From Persecutor to Persecuted

This man seemed to have every right to be miserable. He was Jewish and a member of the sect of the Pharisees. He hated the new sect which was called “Christian” after a certain Jesus Christ who had been publicly executed, but who the Christians claimed was still alive. He considered them an annoying threat to the Jewish religious establishment in which he held a high position. He persecuted the Christians with a vigor that astounded the liberal Romans in charge of that part of the Empire.

This man was forced to undergo conversion to the very “sect” which he had been so avidly persecuting. His former compatriots probably considered him slightly insane to take such a flip-flop in his thinking. The man’s name, of course, was Paul. He later became an apostle and one of the chief figures in the development of the New Testament church.

Far from having the magnificent wealth which Solomon had enjoyed, Paul was forced by circumstance to fall back on his childhood training of tentmaking in order to support himself as he ministered to the Churches of God located around the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, he had to do much of his traveling on foot, or by ship. Devastating storms were common occurrences. Then, too, he was under constant danger from those intent upon persecuting the Church as he had once done himself. He didn’t always escape their wrath.

He catalogued his “misadventures” in the ministry in one of his pub- lished letters to the church located in the Greek city of Corinth:

“Five different times the Jews gave me their terrible thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I was in the open sea all night and the whole next day. I have traveled many weary miles and have been often in great danger from flooded rivers, and from robbers, and from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the hands of the Gentiles. I have faced grave dangers from mobs in the cities and from death in the deserts and in the stormy seas and from men who claim to be brothers in Christ but are not. I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food; often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

“Then, besides all this, I have the to pay attention to his disastrous life constant worry of how the churches and to avoid the same mistake he are getting along” (The Living Bible, II Cor. 11:24-28).

That is quite a list of adventures, enough to make men of lesser fortitude to opt for a safe, comfortable office job. But external problems were not all Paul endured. He also had what he a “thorn in the flesh,” possibly a health problem, although he doesn’t refer to it specifically by name (II Cor. 12:7). He does imply, that his eyes gave him problems (Gal. 4:15).

In addition, he just wasn’t very impressive in person. He says little about this fact, but does mention that others had tried to denigrate him in the sight of his congregation by rather nastily alluding to the fact that he was powerful enough in his letters, but that his bodily presence was weak and his speech contemptible (II Cor. 10:10).

Yet Paul Was Happy

By now you can probably sense the obvious lesson about to hit you be- tween the eyes: Happiness doesn’t necessarily come from wealth, position, sexual freedom, or unlimited power and status. A man enduring the worst of living conditions, like Paul, can be happy in spite of the way things look or feel. ” . . . For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content,” said Paul in Philippians 4: 11. “I know now how to live when things are difficult and I know how to live when things are prosperous. In general and in particular I have learned the secret of facing either plenty or poverty” (Philippians 4:12, Phillips translation).

What was his secret? What did Paul know that Solomon didn’t?

The answer is: NOTHING.

Solomon knew the same basic formula for happy living that Paul preached, but the fact that he ignored with- it literally ruined his life. As a bitter old man looking backward on years, Solomon advised younger men, made: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the, evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them … . Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: refers to as · for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl . 12:1,13).

“Fear God and keep his commandments.” That was the one thing though, which could have made Solomon happy – which would have made his fabulous wealth, not at all wrong in itself, a blessing rather than a frustration. And, obedience to the laws of God was the one ingredient in Paul’s life which enabled him to keep going – even to be happy – in spite of all obstacles in his path.

And these same principles, if you obey them, can make you happy–no matter what your situation in life if YOU choose not to ignore them.

But Are They Relevant Today?

“All right,” you say, “but we are all living in the twentieth century, not two thousand years ago in a Middle Eastern kingdom noted for its mystical adherents and richly embellished history. How would following an ancient code like the Ten Commandments help anyone living in the city ghetto, or playing the freeway game each day, or struggling with unpaid bills, striving to patch up marital spats, worrying over visits to the hospital, breathing the polluted air?” Isn’t telling everyone to do so more than just a little absurd, a gross over- simplification as a solution to complicated human problems?

Not really. The Ten Commandments are timeless and apply no matter which century you happen to have been born into. For instance, the seventh commandment says, in what sounds to many like foreboding tones, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” In other words, “Don’t cheat on your wife or husband. It’ll make you both unhappy.”

It goes without saying that all of mankind is not now obeying God – and probably won’t unless forced to. But think, for a moment, of the fantastic results which would occur if everyone on earth were to obey just that one commandment. No more broken homes. No more agonizing heartbreak which cannot be measured statistically. No more wretched childhoods spent first with one parent, then with the other, always with the tension and insecurity which accompanies such a childhood situation, and which very often produces deep problems in the adult years. If everyone were striving to obey JUST this ONE commandment, the very marriage covenant would not be entered into so blithely. Young couples would take marriage much more seriously if they realized they were marrying for life, and not simply until the next attractive body comes around. In short, obedience to that one commandment could save mankind from a whole host of premarital and marital problems, heartaches and tragedies.

But that is only one commandment out of ten, only one example of why Solomon’s advice to “fear God and keep his commandments” is an open invitation to a happier, fuller, more satisfying life – the kind of life God wants every human being to experience.

If you would like to have more information about the Ten Commandments, explaining how all of them are applicable to life in today’s world, check out our free online book, The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast.

The Continuing Church of God has the following sermon related to happiness on its ContinuingCOG channel:

Here is a link to the video sermon: 14 Biblical Keys to Happiness.

During the earlier time of COVID-19, many were fearful and concerned. Here is something from the Letter to the Brethren: March 19, 2020 of the Continuing Church of God:

The restrictions on movement and the discouragement of physical cash because of COVID-19 are paving the way for the acceptance of the 666 Beast and total government financial control. Now, however, as Jesus said, “do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet” (Mark 13:7). Jesus also said:

33 … In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33b)

32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

While you should take reasonable precautions, you do not need to fear. …

With all the reality and hype about COVID-19 (the novel coronavirus) going around, the following came to mind:

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)

Brethren, trust God, for we are destined to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

At risk of repeat, remember that Jesus said “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

For more CCOG announcements, including happenings around the world, please read the Letter to the Brethren at www.ccog.org.

You can be happy. COVID-19 was NOT the end of the world (see also COVID-19 is NOT the end of the world, but could it be TEOTWAKI?). Nor is the military conflict in Ukraine (cf. Matthew 24:6-8).

That being said, Pocket recommended the article 8 Rules to Do Everything Better. Here are comments from it, with my added comments in italics:

1. Stress + Rest = Growth

Whether you want to grow your body or mind or get better at a specific skill, you need to push to the outer limits of your current ability, and then follow that hard work with appropriate recovery and reflection. Decades of research in exercise science show that this is how you get stronger and faster, and the latest cognitive science shows that this is also how you get smarter and more creative. …

In the Old Testament, the Bible teaches:

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, (Exodus 20:8-10)

Notice that we are to WORK and then REST. That is what God says YOU should do.

In the New Testament, the Bible teaches:

10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.  12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.  (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12)

4 for He spoke in a certain place concerning the seventh [day] thus: “And God rested in the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and in this [place] again, “They will [not] enter into My rest”; 6 since then, it remains for some to enter into it, and those who first heard good news did not enter in because of unbelief … 9 there remains, then, a Sabbath rest to the people of God, 10 for he who entered into His rest, he also rested from his works, as God from His own. 11 May we be diligent, then, to enter into that rest, that no one may fall in the same example of the unbelief, (Hebrews 4:4-6,9-11, Literal Standard Bible)

Sadly, because of disbelief, most who profess Christianity will not rest on the biblical Sabbath as commanded.

But people would be better off if they did.

2. Focus on the Process …

The best athletes and entrepreneurs aren’t focused on being the best; they’re focused on constant self-improvement. When you stop stressing about external outcomes — like whether you win or lose, attain a certain promotion, or achieve some other form of validation — a huge burden is lifted off your shoulders and you can focus your energy on the things you can control. …

We are to improve each day. The Apostle Paul wrote:

31 … I die daily (1 Corinthians 15:31)

Jesus said:

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  (Matthew 6:31-34)

We need to have the faith to take it one day at a time.

3. Stay Humble

Humility is the key to growth. If you don’t maintain an open mind, you’ll severely limit your opportunities to learn and make progress. …

James wrote:

6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.  (James 4:6-10)

Many do not have the faith to humble themselves and wait. The reason to be humble is to not deceive yourself.

Satan’s vanity deceived him. Not to be humble is to believe a lie.

But if we maintain the faith to humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up.

The Apostle Peter wrote:

5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.  (1 Peter 5:5-9)

Yes, God cares for us. But notice that both James and Peter tied humility in with resisting Satan. Satan wants you to be proud and not humble.

4. Build Your Tribe

There’s an old saying that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Turns out that’s true. A large and growing body of behavioral science research shows that motivation (or lack thereof) is contagious. …

The Apostle Paul wrote:

11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person. (1 Corinthians 5:11)

33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”  (1 Corinthians 15:33)

24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.  (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Be careful who you associate with. But also try to associate, in a positive way, with real Christians.

5. Take Small, Consistent Steps to Achieve Big Gains

Habits build upon themselves. If you want to make any kind of significant change, you’d be wise to do so gradually and over time. …

The Apostle Peter wrote:

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  (2 Peter 1:5-11)

17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:17-18)

6. Be a Minimalist to Be a Maximalist

You can’t be great at everything. Regularly reflect on what matters most to you and focus your efforts there. …

In that light, consider something that the Apostle Paul wrote:

12 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. 13 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. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.

15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 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? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 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.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.  (1 Corinthians 12:12-28)

7. Make the Hard Thing Easier

Willpower is overrated. Rather than relying completely on self-control, intentionally design your environment to make the hard thing easier. For example, if you (like everyone) are constantly distracted by your smartphone, don’t just turn it off — remove it altogether from where you’re trying to concentrate. …

If you have a problem with alcohol, cigarettes, pornography, marijuana, etc., do not have it around.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:14)

Smokers may wish to watch the video: Should You Smoke? Would You Like Help to Quit?

8. Remember to Experience Joy

At first, this may sound crazy. Who doesn’t want to experience joy? But many Type A people are so driven to keep growing and progressing that sometimes they forget to be fully present for special moments or neglect to pause and celebrate their milestones. Don’t fall for this trap — it’s an especially dangerous one. “Moments of joy don’t just give us happiness — they also give us strength,” says Adam Grant, https://getpocket.com/explore/item/8-rules-to-do-everything-better?utm_source=pocket-newtab accessed 03/19/22

Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

Jesus said:

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:11)

The Apostle John wrote:

4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:4)

Yes,  there are ways to do things better.

God’s ways are best and lead to true happiness.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Biblical Keys to Happiness This is an article for those interested in biblical teachings about being happy. Two related sermons are available: Happiness: 15 Biblical Keys and : 14 Biblical Keys to Happiness.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.
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?
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? If you would like to watch videos covering subjects of this article, you can click on the following links: Why YOU? Why Do YOU Suffer? and What is the meaning of your life?
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays. A related sermon is Which Spring Days should Christians observe?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

Postcard from 1912 for “St. Patrick’s Day”

COGwriter

March 17th is often observed as St. Patrick’s Day.

Is this an appropriate day for real Christians to celebrate?

The Protestant Christianity Today seems to think so as an article at its website stated:

IrishWatch
Get into the Saint Patrick’s Day mood with an eclectic selection of websites concerning all things Irish.

Each year millions of people observe St. Patrick’s Day, but those in the real Churches of God (COGs), like the Continuing Church of God, do not.

Why?

Because of what it is and what it is supposed to represent.

The Catholic Encyclopedia makes some interesting, as well as disturbing, claims about Patrick:

St. Patrick
Apostle of Ireland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland…Pope St. Celestine I, who rendered immortal service to the Church by the overthrow of the Pelagian and Nestorian heresies, and by the imperishable wreath of honour decreed to the Blessed Virgin in the General Council of Ephesus, crowned his pontificate by an act of the most far-reaching consequences for the spread of Christianity and civilization, when he entrusted St. Patrick with the mission of gathering the Irish race into the one fold…

“St. Patrick’s Breast-Plate”, is supposed to have been composed by him in preparation for this victory over Paganism. The following is a literal translation from the old Irish text:

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity…

St. Patrick proceeded through Gowran into Ossory; here he erected a church under the invocation of St. Martin, near the present city of Kilkenny, and enriched it with many precious relics which he had brought from Rome…

Many times in the day he armed himself with the sign of the Cross…

Far more ample, however, were the aspirations of the saint, and he resolved to persevere in fasting and prayer until the fullest measure of his petition was granted. Again and again the angel came to comfort him, announcing new concessions; but all these would not suffice. He would not relinquish his post on the mountain, or relax his penance, until all were granted. At length the message came that his prayers were heard:

• many souls would be free from the pains of purgatory through his intercession…and…
• greatest blessing of all, Patrick himself should be deputed to judge the whole Irish race on the last day.,

Such were the extraordinary favors which St. Patrick, with his wrestling with the Most High, his unceasing prayers, his unconquerable love of heavenly things, and his unremitting penetential deeds, obtained for the people whom he evangelized (Cardinal Moran, Patrick Francis. Transcribed by Mary Doorley. St. Patrick. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XI. Published 1911. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).

We in the Continuing Church of God do not consider that Patrick was an apostle. We do not consider that people should wear crosses. We do not believe that he has been chosen by God to judge the Irish race on judgment day.

We also realize that the idea of purgatory was not adopted until the Church of Rome distanced itself from the teachings on apocatastasis (the biblical doctrine that, in the age to come, all who did not have a real opportunity for salvation will actually receive one).

Although most Protestants do not accept the Roman concept of purgatory, they (unlike the Eastern Orthodox) went along with Rome and also no longer generally teach apocatastasis.

So one reason not to celebrate “St. Patrick’s Day” is that it promotes non-biblical doctrines and helps obscure the real teachings of the Bible.

But there are more.

Wikipedia reports:

Saint Patrick’s Day (Irish: Lá ‘le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig), colloquially Paddy’s Day or St. Patty’s Day, is the feast day which annually celebrates Saint Patrick (373-493), the patron saint of Ireland, on March17, the day on which Saint Patrick died…It became a feast day in the universal church due to the influence of the Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding, as a member of the commission for the reform of the Breviary in the early part of the 17th century…

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. This stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

The St. Patrick’s Day custom came to America in 1737, the first year St. Patrick’s Day was publicly celebrated, in Boston, Mass.

Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing green (Saint Patrick’s Day. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick’s_Day 03/16/07).

The above should give persons in the COGs pause to celebrate this holiday.

Not only do we not celebrate what “the universal church” observes, we do not accept that God is a trinity as defined by the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D. A three-leafed shamrock is what we in the USA call a three-leafed clover. The early church did not consider that God was such a trinity, hence the observation of a holiday intended to celebrate one who used a green clover to mislead people about the nature of the Godhead would not be appropriate. (Two articles of related interest may be Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? and Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning.

So, St. Patrick’s Day is essentially a holiday promoting the wrong view of the Godhead.

The History Channel reported:

The Shamrock

In fact the first written mention of this story did not appear until nearly a thousand years after Patrick’s death. The shamrock, which was also called the “seamroy” by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism.

So whether the green clover was intended to be a symbol of a non-existent trinity or a pagan symbol related to the rebirth of Spring, following the custom of wearing green on March 17th would not seem to be a biblically-wise idea. Many other practices of this holiday show that it is not a biblical one.

The “fruits” of this holiday are not good. Not only are they dangerous (see St. Patrick’s Day: A More Dangerous Time to Drive) the type of revelry and drinking parties that occur, supposedly to celebrate it, were condemned by the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 4:1-3) and the Apostle Paul (Galatians 5:19-21).

Patrick was Not the First Christian in the Isles

Despite certain claims, the one claimed to be St. Patrick by the Romans simply was not the first to bring Christianity to the British Isles. Hippolytus (an early Catholic saint, who, like earlier Catholic saints, also opposed the trinity), in the early third century, claimed that one of the seventy that Jesus sent out to preach ended up in Britain:

These two belonged to the seventy disciples who were scattered…Aristobulus, bishop of Britain (Hippolytus. Where Each OF Them Preached, And Where HE Met His End).

If that is so, Aristobulus could have been placed in charge by one of the apostles as the seventy (Luke 10:1,17) and would have had to have known the original apostles. But it is clear that by the early third century, it was known that some version of Christianity had made it into the British Isles. And as others have also indicated, this could have occurred earlier.

Eusebius, for another example, wrote in the 4th century that Jesus’ disciples reached the British Isles:

His disciples…to preach to all the Name of Jesus, to teach about His marvellous deeds in country and town, that some of them should take possession of the Roman Empire, and the Queen of Cities itself, and others the Persian, others the Armenian, that others should go to the Parthian race, and yet others to the Scythian, that some already should have reached the very ends of the world, should have reached the land of the Indians, and some have crossed the Ocean and reached the Isles of Britain (Eusebius of Caesarea: Demonstratio Evangelica, Book 3, Chapter 5. Translated by W.J. Ferrar. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. London. The Macmillan Company. New York 1920, p. 113).

Notice a sixth century account:

Venantius Fortunatus, A.D. 560, says: “St. Paul passed over the ocean to the Island of Britain, and to Thule, the extremity of the earth.” (Ireland) (Celtic Sabbath-Keeping Study No. 264, from Cherith Chronicle, April-June 1998, pp. 46-47. http://www.giveshare.org/BibleStudy/264.celtic-sabbath-keeping.html 6/24/06)

Thus, Aristobulus and/or others (like possibly Paul) came to the Isles well before “Patrick.”

The truth is that when they arrived, the Roman Catholics were unhappy to find a Christianity in the Isles that held to very non-Catholic beliefs (more on this is in the article The Pergamos Church Era).

Now, it should be noted that some believe that the Patrick that the Catholics venerate was not actually supportive of Rome and had certain Christian teachings. And that might be so, however, the celebration that millions will participate in today is based on the claimed shamrock, etc. version of his life.

A related video is also available: Should Christians Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

Another Non-Christian Custom

Although most probably consider that getting drunk is the biggest social problem associated with the holiday (other than its ties to idolatry), one particularly disgusting practice is that people who do not wear green on this day are subject to ridicule and harassment.

One such practice (especially among some American children) is chasing and pinching those who do not wear green on that day. And while some may consider that this type of persecution is only a harmless practice, it has caused distress and harm to many children over the years.

Notice the following:

If you don’t wear green people pinch you constantly (St. Patrick’s Day. P.J. J. Todd M. 3/16/07).

#1 St. Patrick’s Day Priority – Avoid Being Pinched
Tradition Dictates Those Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Must Work Green Into Their Outfits . (PR Newswire. March 6, 2007).

It’s that time again: the time to put on your best bright green suit, march down the streets of your town, parade yourself into your favorite local pub and show your Irish pride. Don’t forget to pinch those who are not wearing green (Anderson, Rusty. Daily Staff Writer. It’s not authentic just because it’s green. Iowa State Daily, 03/08/07).

Although St. Patrick’s Day was originally a religious celebration to honor St. Patrick, to us it has become much more. Our memories of the festivities consist of pinching those who don’t wear green (Morgan, Holly. Daily Staff Writer. Holiday tradition changes from honoring a saint to honoring all things Irish. Iowa State Daily, 03/08/07).

Would that practice be one that Jesus would endorse? Did not Jesus object to those who held to tradition but ignored the weightier matters of the law? Notice:

23 Woe to you…For you…have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith (Matthew 23:23, NKJV).

If not, how can any who consider themselves any type of Christian participate in, or allow their children to participate in, such a non-loving, non-merciful practice, like pinching? (Please also see the article Tradition and the Bible.)

Furthermore, it was quite presumptuous as well as wrong, for this Patrick to conclude that God will use him on the last day to judge all the Irish race (allegedly Patrick was told so by an “angel” named Victor, for details see Why The Continuing Church of God Does Not Wear Green on St. Patrick’s Day). This suggests to me, at least, that he was possibly delusional or demonically-influenced. Why would Christians wish to be part of this delusion?

Many of the stories of St. Patrick lead to a misunderstanding of what Christianity is and the nature of the Godhead. It also is highly deceiving for the Irish as they will not be judged by this Patrick.

Notice what the Apostle Peter wrote:

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles — when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. (1 Peter 4:1-3)

Is not “St. Patrick’s Day” a time for revelry, drinking parties, and drunkenness? Is not that something that the Apostle Peter said real Christians would no longer participate in?

According to the Apostle Paul, such people will not be in the Kingdom of God:

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

The writings from the apostles should be enough to stop professors of Christ from participating in St. Patrick’s Day revelries, but sadly most who profess Christ overlook much of what the Bible teaches about real Christian practices.

For those and all the related reasons, we in the Continuing Church of God do not intentionally wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, do not pinch others, nor do we intentionally observe other celebrations related to Patrick on that day.

We, like others who try to “live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4), instead keep the same holy days that the Bible enjoins and that were kept by the original apostles and their early followers. Shouldn’t you?

The Continuing Church of God put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

Should Christians Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

Some biblical holy days will be upon us soon (for dates, see calendar of Holy Days). Do you want to learn more about them? Check out the free online booklet Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Why The Continuing Church of God Does Not Wear Green on St. Patrick’s Day Should non-Catholics observe a Catholic holiday? What did Patrick write and stand for? A related video is also available: Should Christians Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
Binge Drinking, Health, and the Bible Many college students and others overindulge in alcohol. Are there health risks? What does the Bible teach? A related video is also available: Binge Drinking and the Bible.
Did the Early Church Teach Purgatory? Is there a place called purgatory? Does God have a plan to help those who did not become saints in this life?
What is Limbo? Is There Such a Place as Limbo? What Happens to Babies When They Die? When did Limbo start being taught? What is the truth about dead babies? Here is a link to the video: Popes Change on Limbo and Purgatory?
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
All the Prophets Spoke of Apocatastasis The Apostle Peter said all the prophets spoke about “apokatastasis. Do you know what that is? Watch also ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach 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.
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins? There is also a detailed YouTube video available titled History of the Christian Passover.
The Passover Plot What was the first Passover plot? Which plots have Islam and the Greco-Roman faiths perpetuated about Passover? A sermon video of related interest is The Passover Plots, Including Easter.
Melito’s Homily on the Passover This is one of the earliest Christian writings about the Passover. This also includes what Apollinaris wrote on the Passover as well. Here is a related sermon, also titled Melito’s Homily on the Passover.
The Night to Be Observed What is the night to be much observed? When is it? Why do Jews keep Passover twice and emphasize the wrong date? A related video is available and is titled The Night to Be Much Observed.
Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? What is leaven? This article supplies some biblical answers. Here is a YouTube video intended to be viewed for the first day of unleavened bread: Christians and the Days of Unleavened Bread.
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? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
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 Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

(Old WCG booklet cover)

COGwriter

In one of his newsletters, Mike Gendron led with the following:

Discerning Truth in a World of Deception

We are living in a world where truth is being twisted, manipulated and suppressed by hypocritical politicians, government agencies, religious leaders, corrupt scientists and the liberal media. Our debased culture is redefining truth and reality. No one knows who to trust or how to avoid being misled or deceived. The only way we can be victorious is to fight the good fight of faith against worldly ideologies. We can never let a lie of the devil go unabated and we must be discerning. This means we must examine everything and hold onto what is good (1 Thes. 5:21).

What Is Discernment?

Discernment distinguishes truth from error in order to prevent false teaching from infiltrating the church. The Hebrew word “bin” and the Greek word “diakrino” are used hundreds of times in Scripture to make distinctions, to separate things at their points of difference. It calls for black and white thinking and a refusal to color issues gray. Those who apply discernment consistently in every area of life are sure to walk in the wisdom of our Lord (Prov. 2:1-6).

Why Is Discernment Necessary?

Satan is the god of this world and the father of lies (John 8:44). We need to be aware of his schemes to deceive, corrupt, falsify, blind, destroy, devour and kill. We need to discern good from evil and expose those who call evil good and good evil. The apostle John exhorted Christians to make judgments concerning doctrinal and spiritual issues: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). All Christians are called to judge righteously by using the Word of God as the plumb line for discerning truth from error. And judge we must because the Father of Lies deals in half-truths, and his fatal lies are often coated with a thin veneer of truth to deceive the unsuspecting.

Why Do We Need Discernment?

Christians need discernment to know and prove the will of God so that we will not be conformed to this world (Rom.12:2). We also need to test the veracity of every teaching of man (Acts 17:11). Without discernment we could not identify the counterfeits from the genuine. Paul warned us that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.” (2 Cor. 11:13-15). We also need discernment to avoid being “tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Eph. 4:14).

Censored News recommended the following article:

We can talk to people anywhere in the world live, on facetime or Zoom and it costs nothing and this remarkable device is only a little bigger than the palm of your hand and fits easily in our pocket.

The atmosphere around our planet is covered by thousands of satellites that monitor us and help us constantly with GPS tracking devices. Millions of messages are being beamed around the world every second in the blink of an eye. We are being monitored in our cars, on the street, shopping, eating or at work. Back home we have flat screen high definition televisions in most rooms, (which also watches us). Even more gadgets, laptops, tablets and PC’s allow us to stream or download anything we may desire. Radio waves, TV signals, communication, entertainment networks. Every day, billions of invisible messages, images and videos are being transmitted all around us. The air and atmosphere is the highway of our wonderful technological world but, who owns it?

The following is an excerpt from Ephesians 2.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, (the devil) of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

And again in Ephesians 6.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

“The Prince Of The Air”

Satan controls that highway. Satan, known in the Bible as “The Prince Of The Air,” he is in control of our airways. He is the Prince of tech and has established the foundation of his empire here on Earth through airwaves, radio waves, TV signals, communication, entertainment networks, streaming. From two black and white TV stations and an analogue radio back in 1957 to a sophisticated interconnected communication network capable of getting into the heads of almost 8 billion people today and talk about deception, we didn’t even realise, brilliant!

1 Peter 5:8, NIV: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Worse is yet to come, 5G is now in place along with RFID Chip technology and Artificial Intelligence which will replace everything from sex-workers to truck drivers, factory workers to soldiers, causing mass unemployment and at the same time developing a “usless society,” which will of course need a chip to enable them to receive unemployment benefits, medical checks and “proof of vaccination” against anything our government demands.

Yet, how could this have happened in such a short time?

Matthew 24: 24. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.

We have been deceived of that there is no doubt!

In just over 60 years the devil has cleverly outsmarted our society and replaced the innocence of black and white tv shows and radio programes with a diet of sex, hate, violence and magic. Good old, Rock n’ roll, known back in the day as music of the devil, has been replaced by foul-mouthed rappers singing about rape, murder and drugs. Sex has exploded onto our screens. Teen Vogue and other children magazines have run articles teaching young girls and boys how to enjoy anal sex. Every second of every day 30,000 Americans are watching porn. Every day, 25% of all online traffic is directed at pornography with many thousands of them in search of child porn or rape. Some sexual transmitted diseases such as Gonnharea have become so widespread in people it is now immune against even the strongest antibiotics. Almost 70% of people aged between 1-49 are living with herpes and there is no cure. Most suffer oral infection but nearly 200 million have genital infection.

Satan didn’t just take over the airwaves he took over our heads…

Since the Covid virus was announced on New Year’s Eve, 2019 the world has quickly spiralled into a Hollywood Esque zombie movie filled with anarchy, hate, spite, ugliness and violence which has exploded into unprecedented levels. Just ten minutes on your Facebook timeline or Twitter will shock you into believing the world has actually lost its mind. Evil is out there but in the form of indifference, a lack of empathy or genuine feeling for our neighbour has taken root and it appears to be mutating at a similar speed as the Covid-19 virus infecting people with hate and anger. 03/26/21 https://www.thebigwobble.org/2021/03/the-prince-of-air-and-you-were-dead-in.html

Satan’s broadcast has deceived the whole world:

2 … the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2)

9 … that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan … deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9)

Speaking of deception, notice the following from Michael Snyder:

The Vast Majority Of The Global Population Has Eagerly Embraced A Giant Deception

March 30, 2021

We were promised that 2021 would be the year when things would turn around because the vaccines would bring the COVID pandemic to an end. Hundreds of millions of doses have already been administered all over the globe, and millions more are being administered with each passing day. But the pandemic is not ending. The number of confirmed cases is now escalating dramatically, and the head of the CDC says that she is “scared” of what is ahead. …

Well, if the vaccines were going to save us from the pandemic, why hasn’t it happened already? …

Some would have us believe that cases are rising because not enough people have been vaccinated yet.

But we keep getting more and more reports of people that have been “fully vaccinated” but are still catching COVID and testing positive…

This isn’t what we were promised.

We were told that if we took the experimental shots that we would be fully protected.

But it turns out that isn’t true after all. …

Sadly, those that were expecting the vaccines to end this pandemic have been living in a fantasy world.

Lots of people have still been getting infected even after being “fully vaccinated”, and most experts believe that the new variants will soon make the existing vaccines pointless. …

But the truth is that this pandemic is not going to end any time soon. …

Is COVID the end of the world?

Of course not.

The vast majority of those that get it end up recovering.

But it is not a “fake pandemic” either, and those that were expecting the vaccines to save us were just being delusional.

Ultimately, COVID should be a major wake up call for all of us. Because if a relatively minor pandemic can cause this much global chaos, what is going to happen when a true killer pandemic finally hits us?

If the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, life will not be “getting back to normal” this summer.

Instead, there will be more lockdowns, more mask mandates, more social distancing measures and more pressure put on people to get shots.

This is the “new normal”, and it isn’t pleasant at all.

So many prominent voices have told us so many things about this pandemic, but almost all of those voices were completely wrong. https://endoftheamericandream.com/the-vast-majority-of-the-global-population-has-eagerly-embraced-a-giant-deception/

Jesus said:

44 … the devil …. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

The idea that humans are to be non-binary is a lie that Satan has gotten many to accept in the past couple of years.

Related to Satan as the head deceiver, in a World Tomorrow telecast, the late Herbert W. Armstrong stated:

Now in Ephesians the second chapter and the first two verses where it says:

“And you [that is the people in the Church, the Christians, converted people in the Church at Ephesus;] And you hath he quickened [that is, made alive, not immortal, but spiritually alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world [what is the course of this world? They were all in it before they were converted;] the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit [Satan the devil is a spirit;] the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” (Ephesians 2:1-2)

He is working IN people. And Satan has deceived all nations, all people and all religions, believe it or not; and that’s a hard thing to believe. Some day the world’s going to wake up to the truth and it’s going to be absolutely dumbfounded and astounded when it sees the truth because it has been deceived. YOU have been deceived. I was deceived until God opened my eyes and made me willing to accept the truth. Some people hear the truth but they’re not willing to accept it.

I want you to notice, the sixth chapter of Ephesians and verses 11 and 12: “Put on the whole armour of God…” (Ephesians 6:11)

This is a message to real Christians who really are converted, who have repented and who have believed Christ and believed what He said and His message:

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of [Satan] the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood [that is, our problems and our troubles and our controversies are not with other human beings as we think], but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness [or wicked spirits] in high places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12)

Wicked spirits in high places that are really ruling the world, Satan and his demons. And the world doesn’t know it because it can’t see them, it can’t hear them. And Satan has been — he’s the prince of the power of the air. He surcharges the air with his attitude of vanity, of coveting and of jealousy and envy, of competition and strife, of wanting to destroy, of wanting to take away from others, that leads to controversy and to war and to death and to every wrong thing, every ill, every evil that is besetting this world today.

My friends, you need to know something about the devil instead of just forgetting and just saying, well, I don’t know anything about him. I have a booklet about him, just coming off the press now; Did God Create a Devil?

Yes, Satan’s broadcast is promoting wickedness around the world.

And that includes his influence over governments and “Big Tech” to promote wickedness and to call evil good.

Isaiah, however, warned against doing that:

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21)

Isaiah’s writing aligns with those of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

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 1:18-32)

Those pushing for a great reset, the UN 2030 goals, the LGBTQ+ agenda, interfaith movements etc. do “not like to retain God in their knowledge,” therefore “God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.”

Is this a conspiracy?

Isaiah wrote:

12 Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’
Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy,
Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. (Isaiah 8:12)

What is going on with the ‘great reset,’ UN, LGBTQ+, and interfaith movements is not so much a hidden conspiracy–as it is out in the open–but essentially the result of humanism that is influenced by Satan for those who do not truly believe the Bible.

Understand that the Bible even shows that Satan works through religious leaders:

14 … For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

The Apostle Paul warned about more than only religious leaders as well:

13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13)

Jaipuri Tribal Tattoo (Meena Kadri)

COGwriter

Tattoos have been around a long time. In Western societies, they seem to be getting more popular. But they are dangerous?

Notice the following:

Over 80% Of Tattoo Inks Contain Unlisted Substances That Can Cause Organ Damages, Allergies: Study

March 11, 2024

The vast majority of tattoo inks sold in the United States are contaminated with unlisted ingredients that can cause serious health issues, including organ damages, according to a recent study.

The study, published in the Analytical Chemistry journal on Feb. 22, investigated nine different brands of tattoo ink common in the United States, from minor to major brands.

Out of the 54 inks of the nine brands analyzed by researchers, 45 (83 percent) were found to contain “unlisted additives and/or pigments,” the study stated.

“Major, unlisted adulterants include polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and higher alkanes. Many of the adulterants pose possible allergic or other health risks.”

Over half of the inks contained unlisted polyethylene glycol, which causes organ damages following repeated exposure. Fifteen inks contained propylene glycol, a potential allergen. Some contained a compound called 2-phenoxyethanol that posed health risks to nursing infants while other inks were contaminated with an antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections.

“Taken together, the results from this study highlight the potential for a significant issue around inaccurate tattoo ink labeling in the United States,” the study stated.

The research was unable to identify whether unlisted ingredients were added unintentionally or whether the manufacturer was provided with contaminated materials. It is also unknown whether the manufacturer incorrectly labeled the inks. https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/over-80-percent-tattoo-inks-contain-unlisted-substances-can-cause-organ-damages-allergies

That is not good.

What is a tattoo?

A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment…Historically, a decline in traditional tribal tattooing in Europe occurred with the spread of Christianity…The majority of Christians do not take issue with the practice, while a minority uphold the Hebrew view against tattoos (see below) based on Leviticus. (Tattoo. Wikipedia, viewed 05/08/13)

The Smithsonian reported:

Humans have marked their bodies with tattoos for thousands of years. These permanent designs—sometimes plain, sometimes elaborate, always personal—have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment…

What is the earliest evidence of tattoos?

In terms of tattoos on actual bodies, the earliest known examples were for a long time Egyptian and were present on several female mummies dated to c. 2000 B.C. But following the more recent discovery of the Iceman from the area of the Italian-Austrian border in 1991 and his tattoo patterns, this date has been pushed back a further thousand years when he was carbon-dated at around 5,200 years old…

What is the evidence that ancient Egyptians had tattoos?

There’s certainly evidence that women had tattoos on their bodies and limbs from figurines c. 4000-3500 B.C. to occasional female figures represented in tomb scenes c. 1200 B.C. and in figurine form c. 1300 B.C., all with tattoos on their thighs. Also small bronze implements identified as tattooing tools were discovered at the town site of Gurob in northern Egypt and dated to c. 1450 B.C. And then, of course, there are the mummies with tattoos, from the three women already mentioned and dated to c. 2000 B.C. to several later examples of female mummies with these forms of permanent marks found in Greco-Roman burials at Akhmim.

What function did these tattoos serve? Who got them and why?

Because this seemed to be an exclusively female practice in ancient Egypt, mummies found with tattoos were usually dismissed by the (male) excavators who seemed to assume the women were of “dubious status,” described in some cases as “dancing girls.”…it has long been assumed that such tattoos were the mark of prostitutes or were meant to protect the women against sexually transmitted diseases.

What did these tattoos look like?

Most examples on mummies are largely dotted patterns of lines and diamond patterns, while figurines sometimes feature more naturalistic images. The tattoos occasionally found in tomb scenes and on small female figurines which form part of cosmetic items also have small figures of the dwarf god Bes on the thigh area

In old and modern times, some have multiple tattoos on their bodies.

Some of these markings are obviously meant to be provocative, since only part of the markings show on a bare midriff or the lower back while the remainder is concealed by clothing. A slang name for this kind tattoo is calling it a “tramp stamp.” And that is what Nichole Richie wanted gone.

The Smithsonian report mentioned Egypt and the dwarf god Bes. Here is some information about him:

Bes (Bisu, Aha) was an ancient Egyptian dwarf god. He was a complex being who was both a deity and a demonic fighter. He was a god of war, yet he was also a patron of childbirth and the home, and was associated with sexuality, humour, music and dancing. Although he began as a protector of the pharaoh, he became very popular with every day Egyptian people because he protected women and children above all others. He had no temples and there were no priests ordained in his name. However, he was one of the most popular gods of ancient Egypt and was often depicted on household items such as furniture, mirrors and cosmetics containers and applicators as well as magical wands and knives. It is also thought that sacred prostitutes may have had a tattoo of Bes placed near their pubic area in order to prevent venereal diseases…(Gods of Ancient Egypt: Bes. Copyright J Hill 2010. http://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/bes.html)

Thus, tattoos provided a religious connection with this Egyptian deity. Throughout the Bible, God’s people are warned to come out of Egypt and not have images of heathen gods (e.g. Exodus 20:1-6). Since Bes was supposed to be a protector and fighter against demons, this may well be why prostitutes had tattoos–apparently some were mistakenly led to believe that the tattoo would protect them from sexually-transmitted diseases and other problems. God did not want His people to follow such practices.

Lower-back tattoos are also perceived as an indication of promiscuity by some, and so that is likely how come the term “tramp stamp” is sometimes used to describe them (for more details you can also watch the Bible News Prophecy video Should Christians Get a Tattoo?). When one considers that the tattoo is not in a place that the woman getting it can see without mirrors or some other aid, this is also consistent with the view it is there to be seen by someone looking at her nude/nearly nude body (or fairly low cut pants while wearing a short top/blouse).

Whether related to increased promiscuity or not, more and more seem to have tattoos. When I grew up, it seemed it was mainly bikers and men who had been in the military.

Should Christians get a tattoo?

The Church of Rome does not discourage tattoos and some Protestants seem to believe that displaying certain ones (normally with symbols such as crosses or scriptural verses) gives a public testimony to Christ. Yet, Jesus never had a tattoo.

Actually, His word condemned them:

28 You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord. 29 ‘Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness. (Leviticus 19:28-29)

The fact that the admonition against prostitution comes right after the admonition to not have tattoos reminds me of the view that certain tattoos are signs of a tramp, hence the modern term “tramp stamp.”

Notice what the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says about Leviticus 19:28:

Leviticus 19:28

Ye shall not make any cuttings … The practice of making deep gashes on the face and arms and legs, in time of bereavement, was universal among the pagan, and it was deemed a becoming mark of respect for the dead, as well as a sort of propitiatory offering to the deities who presided over death and the grave. The Jews learned this custom in Egypt; and, though weaned from it, relapsed in a later and degenerate age into this old superstition (Deuteronomy 14:1; Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 16:6; 41:5; 47:5), which, as Palgrave informs us, still prevails among the Djowf people in Arabia.

Nor print any marks upon you – by tatooing; imprinting figures of flowers, leaves, stars, and other fanciful devices on various parts of their person. The impression was made sometimes by means of a hot iron, sometimes by ink or paint, as is done by the Arab females of the present day (D’Arvieux and Burckhardt’s ‘Travels among the Bedouins;’ Lane’s ‘Manners and Customs of Modern Egypt,’ pp. 25-35), and the different castes of the Hindus. It is probable, from the association of Leviticus 19:29, that a strong propensity to adopt such marks in honour of some idol gave occasion to the prohibition in this verse; and they were wisely forbidden, for they were signs of apostasy, and, when once made, were insuperable obstacles to a return. (from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

And while some may think that this was limited to the Old Testament, the reality is that the New Testament seems to condemn them as well:

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Since tattoos tend to contain toxins and are not something that adds to health, this should give Christians pause to realize that they should not get them.

There are also health risks associated with tattoos. Mayo Medical Laboratories reports:

Tattoos breach the skin, which means that skin infections and other complications are possible. Specific risks include:

• Allergic reactions. Tattoo dyes — especially red, green, yellow and blue dyes — can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This can occur even years after you get the tattoo.
• Skin infections. A skin infection — which might cause redness, swelling, pain and a pus-like drainage — is possible after tattooing.
• Other skin problems. Sometimes bumps called granulomas form around tattoo ink. Tattooing can also lead to keloids — raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue.
• Bloodborne diseases. If the equipment used to create your tattoo is contaminated with infected blood, you can contract various bloodborne diseases — including tetanus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
• MRI complications. Rarely, tattoos or permanent makeup might cause swelling or burning in the affected areas during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. In some cases, tattoo pigments can interfere with the quality of the image — such as when a person who has permanent eyeliner has an MRI of the eye. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tattoos-and-piercings/MC00020

Of course, if you have one or more tattoos this does not mean that you are doomed or that you have to rush out and try to get it removed. But certainly, you should not get more of them. Nor should anyone who claims to believe the Bible actually go out and get them.

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13, KJV)

The growing acceptance of tattoos in Western societies is consistent with the above.

Here is a related video titled Should Christians Get a Tattoo?

Some information of possibly related interest may include:

Tattoos: History and Biblical Teachings Would you like to know more about the history of tattoos, social concerns about tattoos, health risks of tattoos, and what the Bible teaches about them?
Should Christians Get a Tattoo? What is a tattoo? Does the Bible teach about tattoos? Should Christians get tattoo? What is a ‘tramp stamp’? What is the history of tattoos? Are there health risks associated with tattoos? What type of people originally got tattoos? Do tattoos protect against sexually-transmitted diseases? Is there any connection with hepatitis? This is a YouTube video.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (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-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon 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? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?

COGwriter

Next Sunday is March 17th, which often observed as St. Patrick’s Day. Some see it as a Roman Catholic holiday, while others mainly an Irish holiday.

Normally, it has become a major drinking holiday.

It has health risks:

On St. Patrick’s Day, emergency room staffers prepare themselves for an uptick in patients, likely with several of them injured themselves in some sort of hilarious calamity. It differs from holidays such as Christmas or New Year’s, when patients in need of emergency care often wait a day or two before seeking it, preferring to wait for a more “convenient” time, said Dr. Michael Lynch, a toxicologist and an emergency physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

The holiday is on a Friday this year, allowing millions to perhaps take their celebration of Irish heritage to the next — and possibly painful — level.

“It’s not a fun day to work because of the number of alcohol-related injuries,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan.

“A lot of these people are law-abiding people, professionals who just got carried away,” said Dr. Rahul Sharma, the emergency physician in chief at New York–Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “Many times, it’s embarrassing for them.”

Beware of green food coloring

One St. Patrick’s Day, Glatter witnessed a group of advertising executives panicking after they had lunch outside the office, he said.

During the meal, they decided to take part in the day’s festivities by drinking green beer. The food coloring altered the appearance of not only the beer but the executives’ teeth as well — just before an important meeting.

“Four or five of them came to the ER,” Glatter said. “They were freaking out because they had to see the client.”

The food coloring stained the plaque buildup on their teeth, he said, and getting rid of it was no easy task.

“It takes time,” Glatter said. “It doesn’t go away immediately.”

Even with whitening strips, mouthwash, toothbrush and toothpaste, it can still take up to a week for the coloring to disappear and teeth to return to their normal shade, he said.

“People do stupid things on St. Patrick’s Day,” Glatter said. “And certainly the novelty of different foods is something that is interesting.” 03/17/17 http://abcnews.go.com/US/st-patricks-day-tales-emergency-room/story?id=46153678

According to AAA (an automobile association) and police departments, this is a dangerous holiday:

AAA and Bud Light Urge Motorists Not to Rely on Luck in Order to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Safely

TAMPA, Fla. – St. Patrick’s Day has ended in tragedy for many Americans over the past few years. Between 2009 and 2013, 276 lives were lost on this holiday due to drunk-driving crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“We are asking all motorists to plan ahead this St. Patrick’s Day if they are going to be away from home and drinking,” said Gerry Gutowski, senior vice president, Automotive Services, The Auto Club Group. “That means having a Designated Driver, staying where you are celebrating, or arranging for another form of sober transportation.”

St.Patrick’s Day revelers beware—cops cracking down on DUI drivers

Police across the Southland plan to be out in force Thursday, cracking down on motorists who decide to try their luck driving while under the influence on St. Patrick’s Day.

Multiple Southland agencies have announced plans to saturate streets with officers as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” anti-DUI campaign.

St. Patrick’s Day is among the most deadly in terms of alcohol-fueled accidents, according to the federal agency. During St. Patty’s periods from 2010 to 2014, 266 people were killed nationwide in DUI-related wrecks, according to the NHTSA. .http://mynewsla.com/crime/2016/03/17/st-patricks-day-revelers-beware-cops-cracking-down-on-dui-drivers/

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – If you plan on going downtown for St. Patrick’s Day, local law enforcement will also be joining you. An IMPD spokesperson says the agency will be stepping up patrols and enforcement over the weekend.

“You’re going to see an increased uniform presence, your also going to have a tactical, or covert presence. And those things are there to mitigate any kind of danger to you. We won’t talk about those but they’re there,” IMPD Sgt. Christopher Wilburn said.

Thousands of people are expected to flock to downtown bars and eateries over the weekend for a combination of St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness festivities. Wilburn says that can mean an increase in heavy drinking, fights and drunk driving. … According to ISP, St. Patrick’s Day last year weekend had the highest number of crashes involving impaired drivers. 03/16/18 http://cbs4indy.com/2018/03/16/impd-isp-stepping-up-patrols-for-st-patricks-day-weekend/

“We’ve had several road checks already this week,” Trooper Denton said. “Just an example, we arrested 13 D.U.I.’s in a matter of three hours in Pooler yesterday. Just pulling up to a road check and being impaired and people thinking they are ok to drive.”

Trooper Denton says traffic stops usually start with other minor violations like no headlights or texting and driving. Then, law enforcement says it can quickly turn into a DUI investigation with just smelling alcohol on the driver’s breath.

“There’s about the same amount of people. Every year it seems like it gets bigger. People just go out and make bad choices and they end up paying the price for it.” http://www.wtoc.com/2019/03/17/law-enforcement-cracks-down-underage-drinking-during-festivities/

Aside from its non-biblical origins and driving dangers, what else is wrong with St. Patrick’s Day?

Its focus is not appropriate. Notice a couple of headlines:

Main Street Bars Prepare St. Patrick’s Day Festivities

St. Patrick’s Day events planned: Leprechaun Olympics, pub crawl

Do the Irish feel compelled to drink Guinness on St Patrick’s Day?

The Guardian

Irish people will feel compelled to drink alcohol to celebrate St Patrick’s Day this Sunday whether they want to or not; even those who declare themselves as teetotal for the rest of the year.

Notice something about past ‘celebrations’:

St. Patrick’s Day has evolved from its Irish-Catholic roots of observing the country’s patron saint into one of the biggest global parties of the year. In fact, few countries celebrate as hard as we do right here in the U.S.A. But have we taken the good-natured celebration too far in another direction?

A Costly Celebration

An estimated 133 million people were expected to join the holiday celebrations this year, and St. Patrick’s Day spending overall was predicted to grow to $4.8 billion in the United States. Wondering how that much money is spent on a non gift-giving holiday? As you probably guessed, alcohol is a main contributor. In 2012, it was estimated that beer brewers alone took in $245 million in St. Patrick’s Day sales. That means 1% of all annual U.S. beer sales came from just this one day.

The dollar amounts are staggering, but they aren’t the only St. Patrick’s Day numbers that should give you cause for pause. On Saturday, March 8, police made 73 arrests after converging on a crowd of more than 4,000 students partying in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day at UMass Amherst. Despite the best efforts of schools to proactively combat the heavy drinking associated with this holiday, like scheduling spring breaks that overlap with it or paying local bars not to serve alcohol on the day, college communities continue to struggle with the chaos of mid-March festivities. https://www.thewatershed.com/blog/st-patricks-day-illuminates-dark-dangers-of-binge-drinking/

Notice what the Apostle Peter wrote:

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles — when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. (1 Peter 4:1-3)

Is not “St. Patrick’s Day” a time focused on revelry, drinking parties, and drunkenness? Is not that something that the Apostle Peter said real Christians would no longer participate in?

According to the Apostle Paul, such people will not be in the Kingdom of God:

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Since heavy drinking is associated with St. Patrick’s Day, perhaps the following may give some people pause:

March 17, 2018

Excessive drinking can kill you — and claims the lives of an estimated 88,000 Americans per year, according to a first-of-its-kind study.

That’s 1 in 10 deaths in working-age adults — and more than half are related to binge drinking.

If you find this sobering, keep reading. Some 37 million adults — about 17 percent — reported binge drinking, according to the study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. …

A binge drinker typically drinks about once a week, drinking seven drinks within two hours.

Let’s define binge drinking: for men, it’s having five or more alcoholic drinks in a two-hour window; women need to drink at least four drinks in that span for it be considered binging. …

The dangers of binge drinking can range from social issues like unintentional injuries, interpersonal violence and suicide. More dangerously, the higher risks alcohol poisoning, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease — like heart attack and stroke — cancer and liver diseases like cirrhosis.

“This study shows that binge drinkers are … greatly increasing their chances of harming themselves and others,” said Robert Brewer, M.D., M.S.P.H., lead researcher in CDC’s alcohol program. “The findings also show the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to prevent binge drinking.” http://abcnews.go.com/Health/america-binge-175-billion-drinks-worth-study/story?id=53795860

The Bible warns against drunkenness, and that would include binge drinking as well as other aspects of ‘St. Patrick’s Day’:

20 Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags. (Proverbs 23:20-21)

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles — when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. (1 Peter 4:3-4)

11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person. (1 Corinthians 5:11)

St. Patrick’s Day is NOT Christian.

Furthermore, notice something that the bishops of Ireland released (the portion in italics was a translation provided in the news item):

We pray through the intercession of our national patron, St Patrick, for the faith and well-being of the people of Ireland. Saint Patrick was called to serve and bring God to a people far from his homeland. As Saint Patrick’s Day is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics in Ireland, the best way to honour him is to attend Mass. …

We pray the blessings of the feast of Patrick on all the people of Ireland. We think especially of all our people who are exiles far from home: may the Christian faith of Patrick be their support and comfort always. We pray also through the intercession of Saint Patrick, for the many people who have come into this country in recent years seeking shelter, asylum and a new life: may the welcome amongst us they receive be generous; let us see to that, as people of God and of Saint Patrick. http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/bishops-of-ireland-say-st-patrick-s-day-is-time-to-pray-for-migrants

Notice that the bishops are saying to pray to Patrick, for his intercession and comfort from him. The Bible is clear that there is only one mediator and that this can only be Jesus:

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5, NKJV).

For there is one God, one also mediator of God and men, man Christ JESUS (1 Timothy 2:5, RNT).

Thus any others who claim to be a mediator, or the type of intercessor that the Irish bishops are referring to, clearly contradict the Bible (from both the Catholic and Protestant translations) and CANNOT BE OF GOD.

Despite what the Bible teaches, the Protestant publication “Christianity Today” seems to think it is acceptable to celebrate as one article at its website states:

Patrick the Saint
Behind the fanciful legends of the fifth-century British missionary stands a man worthy of embellishment (Cagney, Mary. Patrick the Saint).

Each year millions of people observe St. Patrick’s Day, but those in the Continuing Church of God, do not. We observe the Holy Days that God enjoined in the Bible and urge others to do so as well. A video is also available: Should Christians Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

Let me add that the biggest hazard for most, is that those who observe St. Patrick’s Day do not take God’s Holy Days or His plan of salvation seriously enough.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Why The Continuing Church of God Does Not Wear Green on St. Patrick’s Day Should non-Catholics observe a Catholic holiday? What did Patrick write and stand for? A related video is also available: Should Christians Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to four related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Alcohol: Blessing or Curse? This is an article from the old Good News magazine that attempts to answer this question.
Binge Drinking, Health, and the Bible Many college students and others overindulge in alcohol. Are there health risks? What does the Bible teach? A related video is also available: Binge Drinking and the Bible.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, and What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, and Early Heresies and Heretics, and Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, and Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, and Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List.
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? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
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 Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach 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.
Keeping Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread How should Christians keep Passover, especially if they are by themselves. Why does the Church of God not require lambs for Passover? How does one keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? For a step-by-step video for Christians to keep it, check out CCOG Passover Service. Here is a link to a related article in the Spanish language: Guardando la Pascua y los Días de los Panes sin Levadura.
Preparing for Passover The Apostle Paul taught that Christians should examine themselves prior to taking Passover. This YouTube video sermon gives suggestions on how to prepare.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins? There is also a detailed YouTube video available titled History of the Christian Passover.
The Passover Plot What was the first Passover plot? Which plots have Islam and the Greco-Roman faiths perpetuated about Passover? A sermon video of related interest is The Passover Plots, Including Easter.
Melito’s Homily on the Passover This is one of the earliest Christian writings about the Passover. This also includes what Apollinaris wrote on the Passover as well. Here is a related sermon, also titled Melito’s Homily on the Passover.
TPM: Passover on the 14th or 15th? While the real COG observes Passover on the 14th, some observe it on the 15th. Why is the 14th correct? A related sermon is titled Is Passover on the 14th or 15th for Christians?
The Night to Be Observed What is the night to be much observed? When is it? Why do Jews keep Passover twice and emphasize the wrong date? Here is a link to a YouTube video titled The Night to Be Observed.
Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? What is leaven? This article supplies some biblical answers. Here is a YouTube video intended to be viewed for the first day of unleavened bread: Christians and the Days of Unleavened Bread.
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays. A related sermon is Which Spring Days should Christians observe?

Obese females (Pixabay)

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) is pleased to suggest the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:55

Is Obesity OK with Scripture?

In March 2024, the BBC reported that research pointed to over a billion people being obese worldwide. Professor Majid Ezzati, of Imperial College London, said “In many of these island nations it comes down to the availability of healthy food versus unhealthy food. In some cases there have been aggressive marketing campaigns promoting unhealthy foods, while the cost and availability of healthier food can be more problematic.” Does the Bible teach to eat what is good? While millions are dying from hunger, over a billion are obese. What are diseases that the obese are more susceptible to? Since the obese tend to die sooner than others, should obesity be accepted or encouraged? What did Bill Maher state about the ‘body positive movement’? Does the Bible condemn gluttony (overeating) and obesity? Did Jesus say to ‘come as you are’ or to ‘repent and believe’? What are some ways to help lose weight? Is losing weight very difficult? Can Jesus help? If you fail, should you give up? What about the five second method of changing? Should the obese eat less? If that does not work, what should they do? What about exercise? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.

While it is highly tempting for most people to overeat, we do want to watch that and obey the word of God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to two related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food and Let’s Talk About Health.
Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods? Two related video would be Is Obesity OK with Scripture? and Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.
Should Christians Exercise? What does the Bible teach? What are some of the benefits and risks of exercise? Here is a link to a related video: The Plain Truth About Exercise.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats; a short video is also available: Did Jesus declare all animal flesh food?
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? 2031 or ? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Might the U.S.A. Be Gone by 2028? Could the USA be gone by the end of 2028 or earlier? There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. Here is a link to a related video: Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? In Spanish: Seran los Estados Unidos Destruidos en el 2028?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

(Wikipedia from the 1845 book of The Sermon on the Mount)

COGwriter

Should Christians call God Father?

Is it simply sexist or accurate to do so?

Until relatively recently, all biblical writers and all theologians I am aware of, believed that the Father was and is God.

However, some Protestants like to shy away from terms like ‘Father.’ And various moderns object to its use as male-bias.

There is even a small movement among Roman Catholics that disapprove of biblically-gendered language, like Father.

What does the Bible teach on this? What was the view of early Christians?

Let’s start off with a passage from the Old Testament:

6 A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? (Malachi 1:6, NKJV throughout unless otherwise cited)

Clearly God wants to be honored as Father.

Notice also what Isaiah was inspired to write:

16 Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. (Isaiah 63:16)

8 But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

Yes, God is Father.

Jeremiah also confirmed that (Jeremiah 31:9).

In the Old Testament He was also called the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9.13).

What about the New Testament?

The many writers of the New Testament recorded that the Father was God. Actually a couple of hundred times.

But let’s start with the words of Jesus.

Concerning the Father being God, Jesus taught:

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).

27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John 6:27).

Jesus taught that one of the things He came to do was to reveal the Father:

25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 7:25-26)

25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.” (John 7:25-26, NLT)

Notice the following:

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” (John 10:31-38)

Jesus clearly taught He was the son of God the Father.

And when asked about how to pray, Jesus said:

9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9)

So, yes, God is to be addressed as Father.

Paul wrote about God being Father on so many occasions, that I will only quote the first one here:

7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:7).

James wrote:

27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27).

Peter wrote:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3).

The Apostle John wrote:

3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love (2 John 3).

Jude wrote:

1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: (Jude 1).

Thus, the first century writers acknowledged the Father as God.

What about early post-New Testament Christian writers?

Second century Christian writers also referred to the Father as God. And that He was the Father of Jesus.

In “the oldest complete Christian sermon that has survived” (Holmes M.W. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, 2nd ed. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2004, p. 102)–was given perhaps with a year or so of the Apostle John’s death. It states:

So then, brothers, if we do the will of God our Father…(An Ancient Christian Sermon (2 Clement), 14:1. In Holmes M.W. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, 2nd ed. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2004, p.121).

Polycarp of Smyrna wrote (mid second century):

But may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Son of God, and our everlasting High Priest, build you up in faith and truth, and in all meekness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, forbearance, and purity; and may He bestow on you a lot and portion among His saints, and on us with you, and on all that are under heaven, who shall believe in our Lord and God Jesus Christ, and in His Father, who “raised Him from the dead (Polycarp. Letter to the Philippians. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1as edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Section 12 modified by R. Thiel to correct omission in translation).

Melito of Sardis wrote (mid-late second century):

No eye can see Him, nor thought apprehend Him, nor language describe Him; and those who love Him speak of Him thus: `Father, and God of Truth” (Melito. A Discourse Which Was in the Presence of Antoninus Caesar).

This was the apparent historical position of all groups that I am aware of that profess any form of Christianity until relatively recently.

God is our heavenly Father. Notice more of what Jesus taught:

14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Matthew 6:14).

31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33).

13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Luke 11:13).

The Bible also teaches:

16 ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you (Deuteronomy 5:16).

If human fathers are to be honored, how much more your heavenly Father?

But not all moderns like this.

The male gender of the Godhead is clear from the Bible. Yet, although the scriptures in the Old and New Testaments use the male gender for the Godhead, some ‘modern’ Protestants wish to move away from this.

United Church of Christ goes ‘Father’-free in ‘updated’ bylaws

USA Today – July 6, 2011…

Rev. Bennett Guess, spokesman for the denomination. Guess explained what happened last night in Tampa where the UCC wrapped up its biannual governance meeting.

We are still a Trinitarian denomination. This was not a theological document. It was a restructuring from five boards to one. And in doing this, we dealt with bylaws written decades ago, before the denomination’s commitment to using inclusive and expansive imagery for God.

We no longer use exclusively male language to refer to God. We haven’t for a long time.

The board-consolidation resolution passed Monday night after several hours of debate on restructuring that has taken six years to accomplish, Guess says. With the change came the edit that replaces “Heavenly Father” with the “Triune God.”

How is that different? Barbara Powell, a spokesperson for the UCC, explains,

It could be Father or Mother or Creator God. Our language reflects the God of all.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/07/god-father-ucc-obama-religion/1

In the 21st century, apparently many religious leaders care more for about opinions of those other than God.

Of course, that was a problem also in Jesus’ day as He said:

5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. (Matthew 23:5a)

3 “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? (Matthew 15:3b)

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. (Matthew 6:5)

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:16-17)

9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:9)

These new “politically-correct” traditions are in violation of scripture. Of course, the UCC teachings on the Godhead have long been based more on traditions of men than sacred scripture. And its no-Father announcements are even more away from scripture than even before.

Now, UCC is not the only Protestant group to hold such positions, just one of the more recent to further compromise on this point.

Despite the rallying cry of sola Scriptura, Protestants often ignore what the Bible teaches (see also the free online book: Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism).

What about Roman Catholics?

A group of Roman Catholic women and priests came up with a translation called the Inclusive New Testament. It ignores the literal Greek where it feels that there is a “gender-bias.” Notice the following about it:

“Son of Man” becomes Chosen One or Promised One.  …

“Lord” becomes Sovereign or Savior, and Jesus’ frequent references to “the Father” become Abba God.

Those who have winced at the misogyny of expressions like “the whore of Babylon” will see Good News in the rendering of Revelation 17:5, which describes the scarlet beast covered with blasphemous names. “This cryptic name was written on its forehead: Babylon the Great, Source of All Idolatry and of the Abominations of the Earth.” …

The intention of the Priests for Equality was to make The Inclusive New Testament truly inclusive by focusing “on those whom society has marginalized: women, ethnic and racial minorities, lesbians and gay people, and those typecast in terms of their afflictions” (Introduction, p. xx).

https://eewc.com/the-inclusive-bible/ accessed 03/07/24

That is wrong, but many do not care for the truth. While Abba God does mean Father God (abba is the Aramaic word for father), most do not think of the word Abba that way.

Abba is also the name of a famous Swedish band which consisted of two men and two women.

That said, consider also that Jesus said the following:

9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. (Matthew 23:9)

Yet, Roman Catholic priests are called ‘father’ by others of their faith despite what the Bible warns. And some priests do not wish to call God Father.

The Apostle Peter warned that “untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16), and even some “taught” people (like Roman Catholic priests) have ignored proper teaching in order to twist scriptures and their meaning. Do not be like them.

Sadly, this is not the only area where Roman Catholics have abandoned the original catholic faith (for documented details, check out the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?).

The fact is that the Old and New Testaments teach that the Father is God. That is the plain truth on this matter. It is only by intentionally twisting and mistranslating the word of God to want to say that God is not the Father.

Yet, Jesus said to pray to God as “Our Father,” so it makes no sense that people claiming Christianity should drop the word Father when referring to God.

The first and century Christian writers acknowledged that the Father is God. Jesus call the Father our “heavenly Father.”

Unlike a lot of early Christian beliefs, until recently this one has remained as nearly all associated with any form of Christianity acknowledge the Father as God as well.

But just because scripture states this, some who apparently wish to please other humans do not wish to teach this any longer. And that is sad as well as very wrong.

UPDATE 03/10/24: We just uploaded the following related video:

14:39

Should You Call God Father?

Is it sexist to call God ‘Father’? What does the Old Testament teach? What about the New Testament? What did Jesus teach? Who did Jesus say to pray to? Are we supposed to worship God in truth or according to our preferences and traditions? Did any post New Testament writers, like Melito of Sardis, state that one needed to call God ‘Father’? What did the Protestant United Church of Christ do related to that? Were they right to replace ‘Heavenly Father’ with ‘Abba God’? What about the Roman Catholic ‘Inclusive New Testament’? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Should You Call God Father?

The Bible clearly calls Jesus the Son of God and God His Father.

Do not be dissuaded by those who do not truly believe the word of God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
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? Here is a link to a related video: Should You Call God Father?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view? A related sermon is available: Truth about the Holy Spirit: What THEY do not want you to know!
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD. Two related sermons are available: Trinity: Fundamental to Christianity or Something Else? and The Godhead and the Trinity. A brief video is also available: Three trinitarian scriptures?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it? Here is a link to a related sermon: Unitarianism? How is God One?
Did the Archangel Michael become Jesus? The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach this, and SDA Ellen White did, but does the Bible allow for this? Here is a link to a related video message: Is Jesus the Archangel Michael? Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Se convirtió el Arcángel Miguel en Jesús?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a longer article than the Binitarian View article, and has a little more information on binitarianism, and less about unitarianism. A related sermon is also available: Binitarian view of the Godhead.
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book. We also have the book translated in the Spanish PRUEBA de que JESÚS es el MESÍAS and French PREUVES QUE JÉSUS EST LE MESSIE languages.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.

(Pexels photo)

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:18:17

Raising Successful Children

Are there things you as a Christian parent can do to increase the probability of your children being successful? This sermon goes over ten points. It delves into such topics as teaching God’s law, having fun, discipline, social media, gender reassignment interventions, hypocrisy, truth, hopes, marriage, the millennial kingdom of God, artificial intelligence, the world’s claimed experts, and work. Do children of ‘conservative’ parents tend to have better mental health than children of ‘liberal’ parents? Do scientific studies point to adolescents being happier if they spend less than 3 hours per day on social media? Do teens face new dangers because of being online? What are differences that can help your children and grandchildren be more successful? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters.

Here is a link to the sermon: Raising Successful Children.

Some items of related interest may include the following:

Five, Now Ten, Points for Effective Parenting Can you improve your child’s chances for success? Do you know that there are scriptures that can make you a more effective parent? Here is a link to a version in Mandarin Chinese N”ga{€SUg eHv„[PYsQ{€²‰ÄR. There is also a 12 1/2 minute English language YouTube video on this, also titled Five Rules for Effective Parenting. There is also a video in the Spanish language: Crianza de hijos éxitosos.
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. Also watch, Teach Children Self-Discipline, Self-Control.
The Seven Laws of Success by Herbert W. Armstrong and Bob Thiel: What Does the Bible Teach? Herbert W. Armstrong had seven laws that he felt could help people become successful.Do scriptures support them? Here are links to three related sermons: Three Scriptural Laws of Success, Jesus and Guaranteed Success, and Rely on God for Real Success.
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children. What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on? There are also videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’, Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children, Disney’s abominable promotions!, USA pushing gender confusion, and New Transgender Study.
Dating: A Key to Success in Marriage, a practical dating guide for Christians This is a scripture-filled dating guide. It discusses many aspects of dating, as well as who to not consider for marriage. Two related sermons are available: The Art of Christian Dating. and No One to Date? Teen Q&A? Engagement? 2nd Marriage? A short animation is also available: First Date: Worldly vs. Christian.
Love, Marriage, and Sex It is important to get them in the right order.
God Created Marriage Some falsely claim that God did not create marriage and that fornication is fine.  What does the Bible really teach? Here is a version in Mandarin Chinese y^R ZZYû.
Making Your Marriage Work Marriage is not always easy, but it pictures a divine relationship. How can you make your marriage work? Here is a link to the video sermon: You Can Make YOUR Marriage Work.
Why sex and marriage? What are each spouse’s responsibilities regarding sex in the marriage? What is not allowed according to God’s word? Why is there sex and why is there marriage? Parental discretion is advised as to whether or not everything in this article is now appropriate for their children. Dr. Thiel goes over scriptures, The Missing Dimension in Sex, and provides answers to questions many have had. A related sermon is available: Sex and Marriage. Here is that sermon in the Spanish language: Matrimonio y sexo.
Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete? Are there lost gospels? What about the Apocrypha? Is the Septuagint better than the Masoretic text? What about the Textus Receptus vs. Nestle Alland? Was the New Testament written in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Which translations are based upon the best ancient text? Did the true Church of God have the canon from the beginning? Here are links to related sermons: Let’s Talk About the Bible, The Books of the Old Testament, The Septuagint and its Apocrypha, Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and Lost Books of the Bible, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
About Baptism Should you be baptized? Could baptism be necessary for salvation? Who should baptize and how should it be done? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Talk About Baptism and Baptism, Infants, Fire, & the Second Death.
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian.Two related sermons are also available:  Living as a Christian and Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God. Here is a video in Spanish: ¿Qué es un verdadero cristiano?
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but …
Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Here is a link to a related sermon: Evolution is NOT the Origin of Life. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, Mystery of Race, and The Mystery of YOU. Here is a link to a video in Spanish: El Misterio del Plan de Dios.
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
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? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
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 Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. There are links to literature is about 100 different languages there.
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
Continuing Church of God Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Africa, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Canada, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Europe, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
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.
CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.
CCOGAFRICA.ORG This is a website targeted towards those in Africa.
CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.
CG7.ORG This is a website for those interested in the Sabbath and churches that observe the seventh day Sabbath.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
CCOG Animations YouTube channel. The Continuing Church of God has some animations to teach aspects of Christian beliefs. Also available at BitChute COGAnimations https://www.bitchute.com/channel/coganimations/
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced hundreds of videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. You can find them at them on YouTube at BibleNewsProphecy https://www.youtube.com/user/BibleNewsProphecy, plus also on Vimeo at Bible News Prophecy https://vimeo.com/channels/biblenewsprophecy as well as on Brighteon Bible News Prophecy https://www.brighteon.com/channel/ccogbnp and Bitchute Prophecy https://www.bitchute.com/channel/prophecy/
CCOGAfrica channel. This has messages from African pastors in African languages such as Kalenjin, Kiswahili, Embu, and Dholuo. Also available at BitChute COGAfrica https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogafrica/
CDLIDDSermones channel. This contains messages in the Spanish language
BibleNewsProphecy Podcast. This has audio-visual podcasts of the Bible News Prophecy channgel. It plays on i-Phones, i-Pads, and Windows devices that can play i-Tunes.
Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos. It is also available as a mobile app.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced scores of YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos. Also available at BitChute COGTube https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogtube/
Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God “Contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3, NKJV), “Let brotherly love (Philadelphia) continue” (Hebrews 13:1) ” & continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles” (Acts 2:42 YLT). So, what does that really mean in terms of specific beliefs–the Statement gives answers? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Declaración de las Doctrinas de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. Here is a related link in Tagalog: Paglalahad ng Mga Paniniwala ng Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. Here is a related link in Mandarin Chinese ~ç~íy^v„eYOv„OáNðXðf. Here is a related link in Kiswahili: KATIKA LUGHA YA KISWAHILI. Here is a related link in Dutch: Verklaring van geloofspunten van de Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Deutsche (German): Glaubenserklärung der Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Italiano: Dichiarazione del Credo della Continuing Church of God. Here is related link in the French language: Déclaration des croyances de L’Église Continue de Dieu. Here is a related link in the Chichewa language: ZIKHULUPIRIRO ZA MPINGO WA CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD. Here is a link in Romanian: Declarația de credințe a continuării Bisericii lui Dumnezeu. Here is a link in Portuguese: Declaração de Crenças da Continuação da Igreja de Deus. Here is a link in Russian: Утверждение верований о продолжении Церкви Божьей. Here is a link to a related English-language sermon: Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God. Here is a link to a booklet titled: Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.