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COGwriter

Dr. Maryane Demasi wrote the following:

Scientific Consensus – A Manufactured Construct

April 21, 2023

In a recent interview, famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was challenged on his scientific views about COVID-19 and he said “I’m only interested in consensus” – words that would have Nicholas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei rolling in their graves.

The appeal to “scientific consensus” is fraught with problems, just like “The science is settled” and “Trust the science” and other authoritarian tropes that have dominated the pandemic.

A widely accepted theory, such as the theory of evolution, depends on a consensus being reached among the scientific community, but it must be achieved without censorship or reprisal. https://brownstone.org/articles/scientific-consensus-a-manufactured-construct/

Before going further, let me point out that it is CONSENSUS and fear of reprisal that has led many to falsely believe that evolution is scientific.

Consider the following admission from Nobel Prize winner Dr. George Wald, from Harvard University:

The reasonable view was to believe in spontaneous generation (life from nothing); the only alternative, to believe in a single, primary act of supernatural creation. There is no third position . . . One has only to contemplate the magnitude of this task to concede that the spontaneous generation of a living organism is impossible. Yet here we are, as a result I believe, of spontaneous generation. (Scott I. The God Solution: Are You Ready? Xlibris Corporation, 2013, p. 41)

This is an astounding admission. Dr. Wald is saying that he chose to believe the impossible. And “scientists” claim that those who believe in a Creator have blind faith with no proof, but instead believe the impossible!

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines impossible as “incapable of being or of occurring.”

It is a falsehood to believe in something that is impossible–it is illogical.

Consider the following from the Bible:

¹⁴ Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:14-15)

Would not professing belief in something you know is impossible be loving and believing a lie?

Now, back to Dr. Demasi’s article:

Aaron Kheriaty, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, recently said:

Science is an ongoing search for truth & such truth has little to do with consensus. Every major scientific advance involves challenges to a consensus. Those who defend scientific consensus rather than specific experimental findings are not defending science but partisanship.

Consensus by Censorship

It’s not difficult to reach a scientific consensus when you squelch dissenting voices.

he origin of COVID is a classic example. Twenty-seven scientists published a letter in the Lancet condemning “conspiracy theories” that suggested the virus did not have a natural origin. Dissenting views were censored on social media and labelled “misinformation.”

It’s only now that the US Department of Energy and the FBI say the virus was likely the result of a lab leak in Wuhan, that it’s possible to have these discussions openly.

The Great Barrington Declaration is another example. Three eminent professors from Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford Universities, argued against lockdowns, which they said would disproportionately harm the underprivileged.

On the origin of COVID, since January 2020, I have pointed to the lab leak origin (e.g. Biological Warfare and Prophecy). Since then I refused to accept the “consensus” of those who claimed a “natural origin” (which was illogical and not consistent with known facts or science).

The “consensus” view is resulting in more and more censorship and suppression of the truth. This is consistent with warnings about the so-called educated by the Apostle Paul who wrote:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, … 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:18,22)

Many in the media, Big Tech, and various governments are professing to be wise while suppressing the truth.

Now, let me also add that groups like the World Economic, United Nations, the Vatican, the Freemasons, various politicians, and others are pushing towards “consensus” over truth, including biblical truths, –and that will worsen (cf. Amos 8:11-12).

Jesus stated:

39 … Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? (Luke 6:39)

The world is going in the wrong direction. However, if you want information on genuine Christianity, you can find it in the free booklet Where is the True Christian Church Today?

I would like to add that it is illogical to be an atheist. While there may be many reasons that people may doubt the existence of a personal God, such as the one that the Bible teaches about, the reality is that anyone who concludes that there cannot be a creator/god is being foolish:

1 The fool has said in his heart,”There is no God.” (Psalms 14:1, NKJV)

One of the reasons that it is foolish to conclude that there is no God is because humans should realize that we are finite beings. No human has been to every place in the universe, no human has lived forever, no human has been to every possible dimension that may exist in the universe. Since no human has done that, for any human to conclude that there cannot be a god of any type is illogical. Why? Because no human has enough possible proof that God cannot exist. Doing so with limited “evidence” is foolish.

Furthermore, if the laws of bioscience are accepted as valid, one can easily prove that something outside of those laws (God) was necessary for life to begin and to continue. Amino acids simply did not randomly line up, become alive, realize that they had to eat, realize that they had to have a means to eat, immediately have a way to utilize food (like a properly developed digestive system), realize they had to reproduce for survival of life, appear with complex DNA, and have the means to do so. It is illogical to conclude otherwise–despite the consensus of fools, who profess to be wise.

The Continuing Church of God put out two short animations related to this general topic on our CCOG Animations channel:

Here is a link to our video: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator?

Here is a link to our animated video: A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?

We also put together the following sermon:

1:12:30

Evolution is NOT the Origin of Life

Is the evolutionary explanation of spontaneous generation, also known as abiogenesis, possibly the origin of life? What about the Drake equation and the Fermi paradox? Does mathematics support the view that RNA. Did RNA come from something alive or did the first living organism come from non-living RNA? Do proteins and DNA need to be present together for cells to work? Did Nobel prize-winning scientist Dr. George Wald admit that spontaneous generation of life is impossible? Have various scientists concluded that “intelligent design” or some type of spiritual “creator” produce the first life? Is Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson’s assertion that evolution is just as proven as gravity true? Did Charles Darwin admit that many were making a religion out of things he speculated? Did Darwin teach his theory on the origin of life would break down if cells were more complicated than he thought? Is there “knowledge falsely called science”? What did Jesus say was “truth”? Do human beings all share the same blood according to the Bible and scientists? Do many claimed scientists accept myths and call the myths science? Is it logical to believe that God created life as shown in the book of Genesis in the 21st century?

Do not let any alleged “consensus of experts” deceive you.

The Apostle Paul warned:

²⁰ O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge — ²¹ by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20-21, NKJV)

20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20-21, KJV)

Problems of contradictions of what is called ‘knowledge/science’ exist to this day. If there ever is an apparent contradiction between the Bible and what is called ‘science’ remember that the Bible teaches:

⁴ … Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. (Romans 3:4)

The Bible is scientific and reliable. Not all scientists are. Nor are all theologians.

COGwriter

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

1:14:30

28 Tips on Prayer

People talk a lot about prayer. Many pray in public. Does God listen? What does the Bible teach about prayer? Can what you do or do not wear be a factor? How can your prayers be more effective? Why doesn’t God seem to answer all prayers? How should you deal with the difficult? How should you deal with ‘the impossible’? Here is a listing of the 28 tips that Dr. Thiel goes over in this sermon: 1. Pray to God the Father 2. Worship God in Truth 3. Believe God 4. Obey God: Do More than the Demons 5. Worship God in Spirit 6. Resist Satan 7. Don’t Fight God 8. Pray for Others 9. Pray for Your Needs 10. Remember God’s Will and Have Your Priorities in Order 11. Praying Positions from the Bible 12. Pray Every Day 13. Forgiveness 14. Recognize God’s Spirit 15. Pray for What the Bible Says to Pray For 16. Ask for Spiritual Gifts 17. Don’t Pray for Show 18. Obey the New Testament About Head Coverings 19. Ask Often, Do Not Use Vain Repetitions, But Be Fervent 20. If You Are Suffering or Sick, Pray About It 21. Pray for Church Leaders 22. Pray for Secular Leaders 23. Put Jesus in Your Prayers 24. The Difficult: Remember Fasting 25. Pray With Thanksgiving 26. Deal With ‘Secret Sins’ 27. Change Can Make the Impossible, Possible 28. Close with Amen.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? People talk a lot about prayer. Many pray in public. Does God listen? What does the Bible teach about prayer? How can your prayers be more effective? Does the Bible give particular positions to pray in? What does God want you to pray for? What if what you want is difficult? What if what you want is humanly impossible? Why doesn’t God seem to answer all prayers? This free booklet answers all those questions and more. This contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)? There is also a single sermon available: 28 Tips on Prayer.
What Should I Pray About? An old article by Lynn Torrance on prayer.
Does God Heal Today? This historical article is by Herbert Armstrong and provides his views circa 1952, which he seemed to later modify, at least to some degree.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Importance of Fasting An old article by Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject.
Faith for those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Here is a link to a pdf. booklet titled Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido.Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章
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.

Witch Doctor (photo from Pexels)

Many in Africa, Haiti, the West, and various other parts of the world believe that witch doctors are powerful and can successfully cast evil spells on anyone. Various ones have succumbed to such to the point they believe Christians can be actually cursed by them.

The Bible opposes the use of witchcraft and casting spells as the following shows:

10 … one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God … (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

Someone recently asked me if true Christians can be blinded by demonic curses from “powerful witchdoctors.” My response was no.

Here are several scriptures in support of that:

6. But He gives greater grace. This is the reason it says, “God sets Himself against the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.”

7. Therefore, submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. (James 4:5-8, AFV)

3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; (Genesis 12:3)

4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. (Psalms 56:4)

“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.” (Daniel 10:12)

25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. (Matthew 10:25-26)

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

7 … You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults. 8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; (Isaiah 51:7-8)

10 … “I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” (Judges 6:10)

God’s people do not need to have any fear of false gods–or, let me add, witch doctors who promote or try to conjure up curses from demonic false gods–anyone who teaches otherwise “loves and practices a lie” (Revelation 22:15).

Witch doctors do not obey God, hence do not have the Holy Spirit–but real Christians do (cf. Acts 5:32b; Romans 8:9).

God is more powerful than Satan and his minions:

4 … He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.  (1 John 4:4-6)

6 The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

Satan knows this and once even complained to God regarding Job, “You made a hedge around him” (Job 1:10). But Satan is a liar and the father of lies according to Jesus (John 8:44), so he does not want Christians to believe that God protects us.

Christians have faith to believe, as the Apostle Paul wrote and Jesus taught:

13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “… 20 … lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18,20)

5 … For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Witch doctors cannot stop Jesus or the work of God (cf. Matthew 16:18).

Consider also that Jesus said in Mark 11:22, “Have faith in God.”

Yet, instead of believing the words in the Bible, some have been influenced by doctrines of demons. This was prophesied for the last days as the Apostle Paul pointed out in his first letter to Timothy:

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, (1 Timothy 4:1)

It is a doctrine of demons that Satan’s henchman, like witch doctors, can cast a powerful spell over a faithful Christian. Any who suggest otherwise are among those the Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy also prophesied about:

13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, (2 Timothy 3:13-14)

Do not be deceived that witch doctors, witches, palm readers, etc. can get curses placed on real Christians. Those who suggest otherwise are blaspheming the word of God and need to repent.

Notice also:

2 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight. (Proverbs 26:2)

The above is teaching that someone cannot pronounce some curse on someone to do something like deceive them.

Now, notice the following related to a demonically-influenced, pagan seer named Balaam, who said:

8 How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced? (Numbers 23:8)

So no, faithful Christians cannot be under some type of curse from demons and people associated with them.

The old Worldwide Church of God put out the following:

To evaluate the subject of witchcraft and magic properly, we should read the primary dictionary definitions of the following words carefully. Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary defines them with meanings reasonably close to their biblical usage.

Witch — “a. wizard, sorcerer b. a woman practicing the black arts: sorceress c. one supposed to possess supernatural powers esp. by compact with the devil or familiar [spirits].”

Witchcraft — “a. an act or instance of employing sorcery esp. with malevolent intent: a magical rite or technique b. the exercise of supernatural powers: alleged intercourse with the devil or familiar [spirits].”

Magic — “a. the use of means (as ceremonies, charms, spells) that are believed to have supernatural power to cause a supernatural being to produce or prevent a particular result (as rain, death, healing) considered not obtainable by natural means and that also includes the arts of divination, incantation, sympathetic magic, and thaumaturgy: control of natural forces by the typically direct action of rites, objects, materials, or words considered supernaturally potent.”

Sorcery — “the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits esp. for divining: divination of black magic: necromancy, witchcraft.”

One can easily perceive by reading these definitions that these terms are all closely related. … the Bible frankly and firmly condemns these things en toto. …

Does all this information, probably new to many readers, mean that we are to be suddenly in terror of evil spirits? By no means!

It is the person who fears demons who could become susceptible to them. But perfect love, wrote the Apostle John, casts out fear (I John 4:18). The true Christian spirit, the spirit of love and a wholesome and balanced life (expressed by faith, prayer, service and other Christlike attributes) is the best protection against demon influence and possession. (The Occult Explosion. Ambassador College Press, 1973)

When King Balak of Moab sent emissaries to hire Balaam to put a curse on the people of Israel, Balaam asked the emissaries to remain overnight, so he could go aside and pray, and ask God if he might go with them. If he was the chief PAGAN prophet, actually sitting in SATAN’S SEAT, as head of Satan’s religion on earth, WHY would he pray to God about it?

I feel quite sure that most people who have read this account have supposed Balaam to be a prophet of God — not of Satan. Did he not do RIGHT in consulting God? Surely Satan would not do that!

Take just a quick look at the incident.

The children of Israel, under Moses, had pitched camp in the plains of Moab, on the east side of the Jordan river, near Jericho. The King of Moab, Balak, saw what these Israelites — there were at least two or three million of them — had done to the Amorites. He was struck with fear. The Moabites were far outnumbered.

So King Balak sent messengers to Balaam, who lived at Pethor in Mesopotamia — far distant, near the Euphrates River. They took with them the fees for divination, to hire Balaam to curse the Israelites. “They are too mighty for me,” was Balak’s message to Balaam, “for I wot (know) that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.”

When the elders of Moab and Midian, Balak’s messengers, delivered the message to Balaam, notice what he said:

“Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak to me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam” (Numbers 22:8).
God said to Balaam, “Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.”

“And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you” (verses 12-13).

Again King Balak sent messengers to Balaam — this time more noble princes of higher rank, and more money. Again Balaam asked them to remain overnight, “that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more” (verse 19). This time God allowed him to go with them, but forbad him to curse Israel.

Yet the angel of God stopped Balaam’s donkey on the way. WHY?

Now doesn’t all this sound as if Balaam were GOD’S prophet, not Satan’s?

Yet, see what we read in the New Testament!

Peter speaks of false prophets “following the way of Balaam.”

Jude writes: “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.

Jesus Christ says to the Church of the Pergamos era: “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel…” (Revelation 2:14).

So Jesus Christ, Peter, and Jude all tell us Balaam was a FALSE prophet. When we research into his actual identity, we find that Pethor, where he resided, was the headquarters of the highest priest of the pagan Babylonian Mystery religion. …

Later, Balaam said that God had blessed Israel, “and I CANNOT reverse it” (Numbers 23:20). Of Israel, Balaam said, “The LORD HIS GOD is with him,… there is NO ENCHANTMENT against Jacob, neither is there ANY DIVINATION against Israel” (verses 21, 23). Notice, God is the God of Israel — HIS God — not Balaam’s God. Balaam practiced divination and enchantment — and God did not allow it AGAINST ISRAEL.
Balaam WANTED TO GO JUST AS FAR IN THE WRONG WAY as he dared.

That is Satan’s way! (Armstrong HW. Personal. Tomorrows World, November 1969)

Scripture shows that God does not allow His people to be truly cursed by those associated with Satan.

That does NOT mean that true Christians cannot sin or be tempted by Satan, but the idea that real Christians can be blinded by a demonic curse is false.

That said, those in the world, however, could be as the Apostle Paul wrote:

3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

Those who are not being true Christians can be blinded by Satan, real Christians cannot be.

The Apostle Paul warned:

30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. (Acts 20:30)

Brethren, do not let those who speak perverse things deceive you.

UPDATE 04/23/23: Which just put together the following video:

14:45

Can Witch Doctors Cast Spells on Christians?

Many in Africa, Haiti, the West, and various other parts of the world believe that witch doctors are powerful. Various ones have succumbed to the point they believe Christians can be cursed by them. The Bible opposes the use of witchcraft and casting spells as Deuteronomy 18:10-12 shows. Does the Bible suggest witches, palm readers, and witch doctors could be real? Is it possible that witch doctors can cast spells on Christians to blind them to something? If not, why not? Are non-Christians subject to be blinded by Satan, his demons, and those involved with the ‘dark arts’? What does the Bible clearly teach? Could the teaching that true Christians be deceived by curses from witch doctors be a ‘doctrine of demons’ that the Apostle Paul warned about in the last days? Are Christians to fear humans? Does God limit Satan’s power and those of his henchmen? Will the False Prophet Antichrist perform real signs that many will fall for? Do you, if you are a real Christian, truly believe, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world?” What can we learn regarding Job as well as Balaam and Balak? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie go over scriptures to show what the Bible really teaches about this matter.

Here is a link to our video: Can Witch Doctors Cast Spells on Christians?

Here are some links to items of possibly related interest:

Close Encounters of a ‘Spirit’ Kind discusses some experiences I believe were (demon) ‘spirit’ related. A video is also available titled: Poltergeists and Lying Wonders.
Aliens from Outer Space? Are there aliens from outer space? Have any visited the earth? Are they dangerous? Does the Bible teach that an alien army will come to the earth and take over? Here is a link to a related sermon: Alien Beliefs and the Return of Jesus.
The Bible and Astrology Should Christians avoid participating in astrology or did God inspire it? Does the Bible encourage astrology? What does the Bible actually teach? What is astrology? How does astrology differ from astronomy? Should Christians Be Involved In Astrology?
OMENS? DIVINATION? HOROSCOPES? THE ORIGIN OF ASTROLOGY Where did astrology come from? Should you read your horoscope?
Does Astrology Work? Many believe and follow astrology–but does it work? Here is a link to the article in Mandarin Chinese: S`fg/QÆxnTÿ .
The Occult Explosion – What Does It Mean? A booklet by Herbert W. Armstrong which also includes a challenge.
Angels, Cherubim, and Seraphim This is information about various types of angelic beings.
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 2:17-18? A related sermon in the English language is also available: 17 Last Days’ Signs of the Holy Spirit.

COGwriter

Israel365News reported the following:

US Supreme Court to rule on Sabbath observance

April 20, 2023

he US Supreme Court is currently considering a case that will drastically affect whether workers who observe the fourth commandment will be required to violate the Sabbath.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Groff v. DeJoy, an appeal filed by Gerald Groff, a former mail carrier in Pennsylvania, who claimed his employer, the Postal Service, discriminated against him for being religious when they disciplined him for repeatedly refusing to work on Sunday, … Groff is suing Louis DeJoy, the US Postmaster General,

In 2012, Groff was hired as a “rural carrier associate”  filling in for more senior career employees during absences in the towns of Quarryville and Holtwood in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County. …

The case focuses on a federal anti-discrimination law called Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on religion and other factors including race, sex, and national origin.

Under Title VII, employers must make allowances for a worker’s religious observance or practices unless that would cause the business “undue hardship”. This concept came into play in the 1977 Supreme Court case called Trans World Airlines v. Hardison in which it was ruled that an employer need not accommodate a worker’s desire to avoid work on the Sabbath if that would mean operating short-handed or regularly paying premium wages to replacement workers. The Supreme Court stated that employers should not have to bear more than what it called a “de minimis,” or trifling, cost.

Groff is represented by  First Liberty Institute, a conservative Christian organization. His attorneys have asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Hardison precedent, eliminating the de minimis requirement, thereby requiring companies to show a “significant difficulty or expense” before denying an accommodation.

“The whole point of religious accommodation is you have to make special or favored arrangements in order to have an inclusive workforce,” said Alan Reinach, one of Groff’s attorneys.

“They would have to pay him overtime anyway,” Hiram Sasser, First Liberty’s general counsel, said. “So there’s no extra expense.”

The Postal Service contends that accommodating Groff would have imposed an undue hardship by requiring it to operate with insufficient staff. It further claimed that substantial numbers of other employees would transfer or quit due to the increased hardship incurred by Goff’s sabbath observance.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted that at Groff’s small post office of three carriers, others had to pick up the burden when he could not work. https://www.israel365news.com/369779/us-supreme-court-to-rule-on-sabbath-observance/

Let me add that the government or any employer cannot require one to violate the Sabbath, but one can possibly get fired for keeping it.

When faced with government leaders opposing doing things God’s way:

29 … Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)

As the USA becomes more secular, and as many leaders wrongly believe that the government is above God, we will see how this will turn out as what I have read so far suggests that the Supreme Court justices look to be pro-government on this.

The direction of the USA is not good as it was better about this in the past.

A while back, CG7-Denver’s Bible Advocate magazine had the following article by Dr. Daniel Botkin:

“I’d like to keep the Sabbath, but I can’t. I have to work on Saturdays.”

Wrong. No one who believes in keeping the Sabbath has to work on Saturdays, at least not in America. Americans who work on the Sabbath do so by their own choice, not because they have to.

Sabbathkeeping Christians in Communist Russia were ordered by their oppressive government to work on Saturdays. Many of them chose to obey God rather than man, and they lost a lot more than some crummy job. They suffered imprisonment,exile, and torture for refusing to break God’s holy Sabbath. When we stand with these faithful saints before the Lord on Judgment Day, will any of us have the gall to say, “Well, Lord, I wanted to keep the Sabbath, but I couldn’t. I had to work”?

Informing your employer

How does a disciple of the Messiah go about getting every Sabbath off from his job?

First, you do not go in and ask your employer if you can have Saturdays off. You are not there to make a request; you are there to inform. You inform your employer (politely and respectfully, of course) that you will not be available to work from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Your employer may respond in a number of ways:

“I’ll see what we can do, but for now you’ll have to keep working Saturdays.”

“We can give you Saturdays off, but you’ll have to work on Friday nights.”

“We’ll try, but you may have to occasionally come in on a Saturday if we’re short of help.”

None of these responses is acceptable. Pharaoh tried three times to persuade Moses and Aaron to compromise the Lord’s demands (Exodus 8:25-29; 10:8-11). Moses and Aaron steadfastly refused to accept Pharaoh’s solution, and we must likewise refuse to accept an employer’s offer to compromise.

If your employer refuses to accommodate you, one solution is to look for a different job. However, that may not be necessary. If this particular job is important to you, you may want to inform your employer of his legal obligation toward employees’ religious practices. This should be done politely and respectfully, not in an obnoxious or threatening way.

What the law says

Many people do not realize that federal law requires employers to accommodate employees who need time off for religious reasons, unless the employer demonstrates that accommodation would result in undue hardship on the conduct of its business. You, the employee, do not have to prove the validity of your case. It is the employer who must prove that letting you keep Sabbath would cause undue hardship to his business. The burden of proof is on the employer, not on the employee.

Federal law considers the following solutions to be “reasonable accommodation” that would not cause undue hardship to an employer’s business:

• Securing a substitute worker (even if the employer has to secure the substitute).

• Flexible scheduling (flexible arrival and departure times, floating or optional holidays, flexible work-breaks, use of lunch time in exchange for early departure, staggered work hours, permitting an employee to make up time lost due to the observance of religious practices).

• Lateral transfer and change of job assignment.

The employer must offer the alternative that least disadvantages the individual (i.e., the employee) with respect to his or her employment opportunities. The employer can also be required to bear the extra costs of accommodating the employee, unless the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission determines that it is “more than a de minimis cost.”

Sometimes an employer is afraid to give an employee every Saturday off for fear that other employees will see this and likewise demand every Saturday (or Sunday) off for religious reasons. However, according to federal law, this is not proof of undue hardship: “A mere assumption that many more people, with the same religious practices as the person being accommodated, may also need accommodation is not evidence of undue hardship.” The above legal information can be found in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (sections 701[j], 703, and 717, eeoc.gov) and in Part XII Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Guidelines on Discrimination Because of Religion.

These laws apply to labor organizations as well as to employers. The laws pertain not only to scheduling (though this is the most frequent accommodation needed) but also to other religious practices, such as a man’s right to wear a beard because of his religious convictions. The employer’s legal obligation to accommodate “pertains to prospective employees as well as current employees.”

Sabbathkeepers need to know that employees have legal rights to reasonable accommodations and that some employees take their employers to court to enforce these rights. Sometimes the employer wins the case, when it truly would cause undue hardship for the employer to accommodate the employee.

When undue hardship is not an issue, though, the law is on our side. Most employers are reasonable people and intelligent enough to know that it would be wiser for them to accommodate your need than it would be to refuse. Many employers will respect you for taking a firm but polite stand for what you believe. If they are smart, they will know that a person with strong convictions is likely to be a reliable, honest worker with integrity and will find a way to accommodate you.

Other options

Some employers are not so kind and understanding and will simply say, “No, you have to work on Saturdays.” In that case, you must pray and ask the Lord to show you what He would have you to do.

Would the Lord have you take your employer to court, or would He have you look for a different job? (You don’t need to pray about whether or not the Lord would have you keep working on the Sabbath. He’s already told you in the Ten Commandments not to do that!) Fighting for your legal rights in court is one issue, but there is also the issue of maintaining a good testimony as the Messiah’s disciple. Some questions to consider:

• Do I really want to work for an employer who lets me have the Sabbath off only because he was forced by the court to do so?

• Will going to court result in resentment or jealousy in my workplace, and do I want to work in such an atmosphere?

• Is this job really worth fighting for?

• Is it possible that letting me have every Sabbath off really would cause undue hardship for my employer’s business?

• Even if the court rules in my favor, would there still be some hardship, and would it be right to let my employer bear this inconvenience?

Keeping your job should be your third priority here. Keeping the Sabbath and your testimony are top priorities. If you can do this and keep your job, great. Personally, I would not feel comfortable forcing my employer to pay extra costs in order to accommodate me, even though the law can require the employer to bear these minimal costs. For the sake of my testimony as the Lord’s disciple, I would prefer to not exercise this legal right and pay the extra costs myself, unless my employer cheerfully insisted on bearing the cost.

If my employer is willing to bear some minor inconvenience in order to accommodate me, then I should be willing to bear some minor inconvenience to keep the Sabbath. Every situation is unique and has many factors to consider. If you do lose your job for the sake of obeying the Lord, the Lord will honor your sacrifice. He may not provide another job immediately, but He has promised to meet your physical needs if you seek His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33).

True identity

So don’t let your employer or anyone else tell you that you have to work on the Sabbath. You are not called to be a slave to your job. You are to treat your employer with honor and respect, but he is not your Owner and Master.

If you are a disciple of the Son of God, then He is your real Owner and Master. You are called to be a servant in His kingdom, not a slave to the world system.

While laws vary in differing locations, as do interpretations of laws, most of the time in the USA (if unions are not involved) it is possible to keep a job and the Sabbath when there is a conflict. However, this does not mean that one will not have other problems or be somehow discriminated against in other ways. A past case in New Zealand protected a Sabbath keeper there (see NZ man awarded cash because of Sabbath-related termination).

I personally was nearly jailed (while working for the government) and threatened with job loss throughout my earlier careers, because I kept the Sabbath. As it turned out I was not jailed nor fired, but there still is a risk for many.

Jesus taught that real Christians would face trials (Luke 22:28) and persecutions (John 15:20).

What about working to handle a seasonal surge or other such need? Here is what the Bible says about that:

21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. (Exodus 34:21)

So, no, the ‘busy season’ at work does not negate the Sabbath.

Aren’t you suppose to respect authority?

Yes, but there are limits:

26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”

29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:26-32)

While the apostles accepted the authority of being arrested, they did not conclude that they needed to violate God’s laws. Notice also that the Apostle Peter declared that the Holy Spirit of God is given to those who obey Him–not to those who obey humans above God.

But yes, employers and others may judge:

18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:18-20)

But true Christians obey God–even if it does not look like humans will allow that. Consider also the following:

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:13-18)

It takes faith to keep the Sabbath when your job or livelihood (Exodus 34:21) seems to be at risk. But the Bible teaches that we are to obey God rather than men (Acts 5;29).

Of course, some countries and cultures make it more difficult, but that also is not justification for not obeying God.

Christians should also remember that the Sabbath command has two parts:

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, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. (Exodus 20:8-11)

Christians are to work when they can on the other six days. Volunteering to work on Sundays, for example, can be helpful as many in the world want that day off.

Christians also are to actually work at their jobs and not pretend:

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. (Ephesians 6:5-8)

22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. (Colossians 3:22-25)

When scripture says to obey in all things, this is not a license to bear false witness for an employer, murder for an employer, or violate the Sabbath for an employer.

Many employers will keep a productive worker, even though that worker keeps the Sabbath.

Anyway, it is often possible to keep one’s job and the Sabbath.

In situations where that is not possible, either try to get another job and/or attempt to work for yourself.

I personally have done both. It can be done.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Can You Keep Your Job, Get Your Degree, and Keep the Sabbath? This article has some information on that. Here is a link to a related video titled: Can you keep the Sabbath and your job? What about college?
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It.
The Christian Sabbath. This is a series of articles from the Catholic Mirror essentially proving that the biblical Sabbath was Saturday, that the Lord’s day in Revelation 1 is not a reference to Sunday, that the Church of Rome implemented Sunday, and that nearly all Protestants followed Rome. Here is a link to a related sermon: Catholic teachings on the Sabbath, Sunday, and Protestantism.
How to Observe the Sabbath? How should you keep the Sabbath? This is an old article by Raymond Cole, with updated information for the 21st century.
The Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers This reformatted Good News article from 1955 discusses Sabbath-keeping in China in the 1800s.
Is God Unreasonable? Some have suggested that if God requires Sabbath-keeping He is unreasonable. Is that true? Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 一个不合理的神？
Another Look at the Didache, Ignatius, and the Sabbath Did Ignatius write against the Sabbath and for Sunday? What about the Didache? What does the actual Greek reveal?
Church of God, Seventh Day: History and Teachings Nearly all COG’s I am aware of trace their history through this group. Whaid Rose is the president of the largest CG7 group (Denver). Do you know much about them?
The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and COG-7th Day.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free draft/unedited 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.
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.

REM song cover

COGwriter

Americans are reading the Bible a lot less than they once did:

Cultivating A Society That Doesn’t Read The Bible: What Are The Consequences?

April 18, 2023

No one is reading the Bible. Well maybe not no one, but fewer, much fewer people. And that is a problem.

Late last year, the American Bible Society published its annual “State of the Bible” report, and the results signal a dramatic decline in Bible reading. It seems clear that we are cultivating a society that does not care to make Bible reading a regular habit.

This means people are lacking a desire to reflect upon the story of David and Goliath or the parable of the lost son. The result of this is obvious. The Bible will cease to be a culture-shaping text, which also means people will lose understanding of Michelangelo’s David or Rembrandt’s “Prodigal Son” as well. …

We are “a nation of biblical illiterates,” …

The report continues noting that “in every study since 2018, Bible Users have accounted for between 47 and 49 percent of American adults.” But in 2022, there was a 10% decrease in Bible reading. That means, as the study shows, “nearly 26 million Americans reduced or stopped their interaction with Scripture in the past year.” If you look closer at the numbers, in nearly every question and category, Bible reading decreased. What is more surprising is that coming out of the pandemic, when everyone had time to read, they chose not to do so. …

Fewer people are reading their Bibles, which means that the Bible’s influence is evaporating. …

So, take a few moments today and read the Bible. … at least we might be shaped by the words we read and learn to “walk in the law of the Lord” (Psalm 119:1). Cultivating A Society That Doesn’t Read The Bible: What Are The Consequences? (religionunplugged.com)

The ultimate consequence to less Bible reading is death as it results in more sin.

Another consequence of less Bible reading is that more oppose the Bible and publicly mark those who claim to believe parts of it related to sexuality as “extremists.” I heard that disparaging comment a couple of times on the radio yesterday related to someone who would not support the LGBTQ+ agenda.

Another consequence of less Bible reading is that more Americans are not religious.

A while back, the Associated Press posted the following:

What’s your religion? In US, a common reply now is “None”

December 14, 2021

Nathalie Charles, even in her mid-teens, felt unwelcome in her Baptist congregation …

After leaving her New Jersey church three years ago, she identified as atheist, then agnostic, before embracing a spiritual but not religious life. In her dorm, she blends rituals at an altar, chanting Buddhist, Taoist and Hindu mantras and paying homage to her ancestors as she meditates and prays.

The path taken by Charles places her among the religiously unaffiliated — the fastest-growing group in surveys asking Americans about their religious identity. They describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular.”

According to a survey released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center, this group — commonly known as the “nones” — now constitutes 29% of American adults. That’s up from 23% in 2016 and 19% in 2011.

“If the unaffiliated were a religion, they’d be the largest religious group in the United States,” said Elizabeth Drescher, an adjunct professor at Santa Clara University who wrote a book about the spiritual lives of the nones. https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-religion-0722d2f1484d38163d75b32b6f095ddf

An article today out of the New York Times seemed to conclude the same thing.

The music group R.E.M. had a hit with a song in 1991 titled Losing My Religion. It reached number 4 on the Billboard charts. Throughout the years, I have thought about that when various ones fell away from the truth (see The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings).

Here is some comments published in The Atlantic about one view why the USA has become less religious:

Three Decades Ago, America Lost Its Religion. Why?

Deep into the 20th century, more than nine in 10 Americans said they believed in God and belonged to an organized religion, with the great majority of them calling themselves Christian. That number held steady—through the sexual-revolution ’60s, through the rootless and anxious ’70s, and through the “greed is good” ’80s.

But in the early 1990s, the historical tether between American identity and faith snapped. Religious non-affiliation in the U.S. started to rise—and rise, and rise. By the early 2000s, the share of Americans who said they didn’t associate with any established religion (also known as “nones”) had doubled. By the 2010s, this grab bag of atheists, agnostics, and spiritual dabblers had tripled in size. …

What … happened around 1990?

According to Christian Smith, a sociology and religion professor at the University of Notre Dame, America’s nonreligious lurch has mostly been the result of three historical events: the association of the Republican Party with the Christian right, the end of the Cold War, and 9/11.

This story begins with the rise of the religious right in the 1970s. Alarmed by the spread of secular culture—including but not limited to the sexual revolution, the Roe v. Wade decision, the nationalization of no-fault divorce laws, and Bob Jones University losing its tax-exempt status over its ban on interracial dating—Christians became more politically active. The GOP welcomed them with open arms. … But it disgusted liberal Democrats, especially those with weak connections to the Church. It also shocked the conscience of moderates, who preferred a wide berth between their faith and their politics. …

Second, it may have felt unpatriotic to confess one’s ambivalence toward God while the U.S. was locked in a geopolitical showdown with a godless Evil Empire. In 1991, however, the Cold War ended. As the U.S.S.R. dissolved, so did atheism’s association with America’s nemesis. After that, “nones” could be forthright about their religious indifference, without worrying that it made them sound like Soviet apologists.

Third, America’s next geopolitical foe wasn’t a godless state. It was a God-fearing, stateless movement: radical Islamic terrorism. A series of bombings and attempted bombings in the 1990s by fundamentalist organizations such as al-Qaeda culminated in the 9/11 attacks. It would be a terrible oversimplification to suggest that the fall of the Twin Towers encouraged millions to leave their church, Smith said. But over time, al-Qaeda became a useful referent for atheists who wanted to argue that all religions were inherently destructive. 09/26/19 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/atheism-fastest-growing-religion-us/598843/

Since shortly after World War II, the USA was in a cold war with the officially-atheist Soviet Union.

Many feared nuclear war and destruction.

But when the Berlin wall came down and the Soviet Union collapsed, that antagonist became basically irrelevant.

However, this did not just affect the USA in general. In my view, it also affected people who were, at least partially, in the old Worldwide Church of God for reasons related too much towards escapism.

Right after the Berlin wall fell in November 1989, I was asked to give the closing prayer at WCG church services in Fresno, California. In that prayer, I mentioned that we were witnessing prophecy being fulfilled right before our eyes. One of the reasons that I stated that was because many in that congregation seemed to be losing their zeal and belief about Bible prophecy. They did not seem to see the prophetic significance of what was happening. Many, who once were believers, no longer loved the law of God. Some even became scorners (Psalm 1). A major falling away was occurring (see also The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings).

People, in and out of the Church of God, now have less respect for the entire Bible.

This includes one-time, WCG members who did not repudiate many of their original beliefs, but instead who basically did not consider prophecy was that important and/or who are now holding to prophetic beliefs that are clearly in error (for details, see Do You Hold to these Laodicean Prophetic Errors?). The bulk of Christians were or became Laodicean (see also The Laodicean Church Era). Those who understand church eras, also understand that the Laodiceans were prophesied to be the bulk of the Christians in the end times. And that has happened. They think because they did not actually lose their religion, they are fine. Jesus, however, said otherwise in Revelation 3:14-22 (see also The Laodicean Church Era).

As far as for those who consider themselves COG and unaffiliated, most of them are either Laodicean or confused. My prayer is that they will diligently seek the truth and support the Continuing Church of God as we lead the Philadelphian remnant. As far as being unaffiliated goes, Herbert W. Armstrong wrote about being “independent”–he opposed that. Here is a link to something about that: Independent/Unaffiliated: Independent Members of the COG: Herbert W. Armstrong Comments, Plus Questions and Answers .

Getting back to the article in The Atlantic, it also had the following:

The deeper question is whether the sudden loss of religion has social consequences for Americans who opt out. Secular Americans, who are familiar with the ways that traditional faiths have betrayed modern liberalism, may not have examined how organized religion has historically offered solutions to their modern existential anxieties. …

Reconciling the overwhelming sense of life’s importance with the universe’s ostensible indifference to human suffering is hard.

Although belief in God is no panacea for these problems, religion is more than a theism. It is a bundle: a theory of the world, a community, a social identity, a means of finding peace and purpose, and a weekly routine. Those, like me, who have largely rejected this package deal, often find themselves shopping à la carte for meaning, community, and routine to fill a faith-shaped void. Their politics is a religion. Their work is a religion. Their spin class is a church. And not looking at their phone for several consecutive hours is a Sabbath.

Well, as far as “existential anxieties” go, the world does not even know the why of existence. Going further away from the Bible makes it even harder. Yet, even most Christians do not really understand why God made anything. Those who want biblically-based explanations to ‘why,’ can check out the free online book: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you?

As far as some of the “social consequences” of Americans, more and more are abandoning biblical teachings. This has led to a rise in the acceptance of even more sexual immorality, like aspects of the LGBTQ agenda.

The Bible not only strongly condemns the LGBTQ agenda, it states that those who remain part of it will not be in God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). The Bible also says it is wrong to approve people being part of such sexually immoral lifestyles (Romans 1:18-32). And says such acceptance will end in destruction (Romans 1:18-32′ 2 Peter 2:6; Jude 7).

As far as the Protestant world goes, the gap between the ‘liberals’ and ‘conservatives’ is increasing as The Atlantic suggested.

Some liberals accept the interfaith agenda and some conservatives accept the ecumenical agenda. Music, which The Atlantic article did not mention, also has played a role in this. At this COGwriter Church of God News page related to music, I have warned about Hillsong and its ecumenical-interfaith agenda (before Marty Sampson left it). Essentially according to Hillsong all religions are about the same. Related to that, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:21:54

Music, Hillsong, and the False Gospel

Musical instruments were mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Music is present all over in the 21st century. How does music affect the mind and body? Is it okay to listen to music? Should lyrics matter? Are there biblical principles to consider related to music? Can Christians listen to secular music? Is harp music always good? Is “Contemporary Christian Music” biblically appropriate? Has money overly influenced the “Christian music industry”? What is the Pentecostal ‘latter rain’? What about songs about heaven? Do groups like Hillsong promote the gospel of the kingdom or a false gospel message? Has there been an ongoing attempt to promote an ecumenical message in what has been called “gospel” or “Christian” music? How can you tell a real Christian from a false one? What type of songs did early Christians sing? Did the old Worldwide Church of God fall because of its 1974 hymnal? Are psalms and songs in “The Bible Hymnal” of the Continuing Church of God consistent with the practices of original Christians? Dr. Thiel addresses these and more!

Here is a link to the sermon: Music, Hillsong, and the False Gospel.

Partially because of the ecumenical agenda, it is no great surprise that in the mind of people like Marty Sampson, his perception is that his type of Christianity was just another of the world’s religions. Related to that, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

17:47

Losing Religion (and HOW NOT TO!)

In the Summer of 2019, two well known Protestants announced that they had lost their religion. One, Joshua Harris, who was known for his books on dating and marriage, also announced he was getting a divorce and then he endorsed homosexual marriage and other aspects of the LGBTQ agenda. The other, Martin Sampson, who was known for his writings and connections to the Hillsong church, laid out his criticisms of his Protestant faith–he said he wanted genuine truth? Is science or the word of God the source of truth? Were either of these Protestant men “true Christians”? Have they overlooked various proofs? Were there scriptures that they overlooked? If you wish to be a true and faithful Christian, are there instructions in God’s word that if you follow you will never stumble or lose the true religion? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Here is a link to the sermonette: Losing Religion (and HOW NOT TO!).

As far as atheism goes, it is not scientific. Related to it and Christianity, here is information and a link to our latest sermon:

Here is a link to the sermon: Should Atheists Accept Jesus?

Atheism is a denial of science. It is also illogical. For more on that, see our free online booklet: Is God’s Existence Logical?

Anyway, the USA is more and more losing ties to biblical morality. This is having major social consequences now. And, without national repentance, the USA will, relatively soon, be destroyed (cf. Daniel 11:39; watch also Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028?). The same is true for its British-descended allies (cf. Hosea 11:3a, 5b-7; Daniel 8:24-25; Isaiah 17:3).

But even if your nation will not repent, you can.

Instead of losing your religion or being lukewarm (Laodicean), you can become an ambassador for the Kingdom of God (see also the free online books Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian and Is God Calling You?).

Those who believe that the USA will survive its turning more towards atheism and away from the Bible are in error.

Some items of related interest may include the following:

Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading, certain ancient texts, and discusses translations. Is the King James Version completely trustworthyy? Here is a link in Mandarin Chinese: ‹ûW#~Ï Here is a link in the Spanish language: Lea la Biblia..
Bible: Superstition or Authority? Should you rely on the Bible? Is it reliable? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
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?
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?
Independent/Unaffiliated: Independent Members of the COG: Herbert W. Armstrong Comments, Plus Questions and Answers What did Herbert W. Armstrong teach about being independent of the organized Church? Should independents who claim to accept Herbert W. Armstrong’s teachings support the end time Philadelphian work? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Unity. Watch also Zephaniah’s ‘Gather Together’ Prophecy.
The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings Who is 2 Thessalonians 2:3 referring to? Are there multiple falling aways? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: La Apostasía: Enseñanzas de la Biblia y de la WCG. There are also two YouTube videos on the subject that you can watch The Falling Away Part 1: From the Bible and Church History and The Falling Away Part 2: Positions Presented by Others.
Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2? Here is a version in Mandarin: N;ÿ Œ
f/’Y’jNº’ÿ Here is a link to a related English sermon video titled: The Man of Sin will deceive most ‘Christians’.
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.
5. The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses some early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, CG7-Salem, Jerusalem 7DCG, and COG-7th Day-Denver. Here are two historical sermons: Sardis Church Era: Beginnings, Doctrines, and Leaders and Sardis: SDBs, SDAs, & CG7s.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?
Music and the False Gospel of Ecumenical Music Has popular ‘Christian’ music been promoting a false ecumenical gospel? Shouldn’t Christian unity be promoted? Here is a link to a related sermon: Music, Hillsong, and the False Gospel.
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.
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’.
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 three YouTube videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’ and Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children and USA pushing gender confusion.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality and the LGBTQ agenda? Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Pornography: A scourge on society Is pornography harmless fun? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What are the views of some involved with it? A related sermons is titled: Pornography, False Comfort, and False Religion. Here a shorter YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
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. 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.
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.
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?

COGwriter

 The following was was first published by Harvard Public Health magazine:

By Jerold Mande

Federal food law is clear: It bans “any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render [a food] injurious to health.”

For decades, regulators have used that provision mostly to crack down on food contaminated with toxic chemicals or microbes such as Listeria and Salmonella that can make us acutely ill. It’s important to protect people from these harms, but let’s also put them in perspective: These regulated contaminants kill an estimated 1,400 Americans per year. By contrast, 1,600 Americans die every day from chronic food illness, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

In recent years, evidence has mounted that these chronic illnesses are caused by deleterious substances in ultra-processed foods. From heat-and-eat meals such as frozen pizza to sweetened breakfast cereals, ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations of ingredients from substances extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories. They are also staples of our diets. …

In addition to deaths, poor diet causes tremendous suffering. For instance, two-thirds of severe COVID cases resulting in hospitalization have been attributed to four diet-caused diseases: obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure. In other words, these hospitalizations could have been prevented if the patient didn’t have these diseases. All told, the economic cost of nutrition-related chronic diseases has been estimated at $16 trillion over the period from 2011 to 2020.

Mounting evidence suggests that ultra-processed foods are causing much of this harm. …

In a recent study conducted by the National Institutes of Health to discover the cause of sharp increases in obesity in the U.S., volunteers were randomly assigned to either eat minimally processed foods or ultra-processed foods matched for daily nutrients like carbohydrates, sodium, fat, and sugar. Investigators thought weight gain would be the same in both groups, since nutrient composition was equivalent. They were wrong.

While on the ultra-processed diet, people ate an additional 500 calories per day and began to rapidly gain weight. When the same people were later assigned to eat the minimally processed diet, they lost weight.

This is an important finding, because it raises the possibility that it’s the additives and processing—not just the percentage of fat or sugar in a diet—that make us sick. 03/06/23 https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2023/03/processed-foods-are-making-us-sick-its-time-for-the-fda-and-usda-to-step-in/

Eating wrong can also increase the production of advanced protein glycation end-products which tend to accumulate in the brain and can contribute to cognitive deterioration. I was the lead scientist on paper published in a major medical journal dealing with that a while ago (see Can Cognitive Deterioration Associated with Down Syndrome be Reduced? Medical Hypotheses, 2005; 64(3):524-532).

Highly processed junk foods may taste good and seem convenient, but if consumed at all, should be a very small part of anyone’s diet.

But because the negative effects take time, many deceive themselves into falsely believing that they cannot cause serious problems–yet they can.

The following scripture came to mind:

11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11)

As far as food processing goes, it really started to become a problem in the 19th century. This is when refined flour came out. Then we saw degerminated corn meal and white rice. Grits, which once were made of ground, whole organic corn, are now made with degerminated GMO corn, ‘fortified’ with synthetic vitamins. After corn was ‘degerminated’ many people in the Southern USA died from a disease called pellagra. Instead of going back to whole corn, chemically-derived synthetic vitamins were added, which I consider to be dangerous.

In the 19^th century, after natural brown rice became refined on a large scale, white rice became popular. Many preferred white rice because it could be stored longer than natural brown rice, plus it cooked faster.

In the 19^th century, a disease called beriberi began to cause many deaths in parts of Asia. Symptoms of beriberi include weight loss, emotional disturbances, impaired sensory perception, weakness and pain in the limbs, and periods of irregular heart rate.

At first no one connected the consumption of white rice in with beriberi. Leading ‘infectious disease’ experts attempted to figure out what caused this beriberi outbreak, without success. The real cause was the greatly reduced consumption of B-vitamins that was in the portion of the rice that was refined away—but no one realized this at first.

One story is that a Filipino farmer noticed that if he fed his chickens brown rice, they got over beriberi. But since he was only a farmer, his discovery was basically ignored.

A Japanese scientist, Takaki Kanehiro, noticed that Japanese sailors were developing beriberi and figured out it was related to their diet. He then began to do experiments with pigeons. He concluded that there were vital anti-beriberi amino acids in the germ of rice. He concluded that there were vital anti-beriberi amino acids that were basically missing in white rice that were present in brown rice.

In 1912, Casimir Funk coined the term “vitamine” meaning vital to life. Today we use the term “vitamin.” In time, various of these vitamins got there own name. The original ‘B vitamins’ designated that they were anti-beriberi.

Now, instead of going back to brown rice to prevent beriberi, chemical isolates were developed that are, in most countries, required to be sprayed on the white rice. They call this process ‘fortification,’ but while pushed by public health officials, this ‘solution’ was certainly not optimal for human health.

Food processing companies like to act like their products do no harm, but the reality is that they do.

The Apostle Paul warned:

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, (1 Timothy 6:10)

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

Many people do not have the love of the truth and seem to want to believe lies (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

Furthermore, the Bible warns about eating things that are not really food:

2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

Refined processed “breads,” refined and artificial sweeteners, chemical additives, sodas, and some other items commonly associated with junk foods and hydrogenated fats would seem to be consistent with that warning.

Breakfast cereals used to be one of the original ‘health foods’ when Dr. Kellogg first introduced Corn Flakes at his clinic in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was basically made of whole organic corn. Now, it seems to be made with GMO corn (its label does not state otherwise, which in the USA means the corn source is almost always genetically-modified) and is ‘fortified’ with synthetic vitamins.

Many other breakfast cereals, especially the ones targeted towards children are made of refined, degerminated grains, synthetic vitamins, a lot of sugar, and artificial colors. Pop-Tarts made of refined, degerminated grains, synthetic vitamins, fruit, sugar, gelatin (probably biblical unclean; see also The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats), and artificial colors.

Many Americans (and others) consume synthetic vitamins that they tend to consider to be “health food.” Synthetic vitamins are often in forms that are foreign to the human body (i.e. there is no such thing as isolated thiamin hydrochloride (thiamin HCL) in a natural food, but that is one form that refined foods are ‘fortified’ with–foods mainly contain vitamin B-1 as thiamin pyrophosphate. Most USP vitamins are petroleum derivatives and/or processed with formaldehyde and/or acetone.

Synthetic/USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) vitamins are not only isolates, they tend to be crystalline in structure. Vitamins complexed in foods appear rounder. Notice some electron microscope photos of food and synthetic vitamins:

Food Thiamin vs. USP Thiamin HCL

Food Vitamin C vs. USP Ascorbic Acid

Perhaps I should comment that most minerals Americans (and others) purchase are basically ground up industrial rocks with acids added to them. While plants can properly convert rocks into food, humans are supposed to eat food. Unless people consider bones or shells to be foods (which do contain hard mineral salts), foods simply do not contain the type of two word mineral salts that are used in most vitamin-mineral formulas.

Here are electron microscope photos of food and rock zinc:

Food Zinc vs. USP Zinc Chloride

Most people consuming minerals are consuming ground up rocks. The chemical forms of these mineral salts can be ‘natural,’ but they are not natural for humans to eat. Actually, eating ground up rocks/dirt is considered as a medical condition called ‘pica.’ Yet, many ‘health food’ supplements contain these substances for minerals that are totally foreign to human foods.

An Iowa study involving over 30,000 older women found that those that regularly consumed a synthetic vitamin pill died years before women that did not. In 2017, a study found that smokers who took high doses of synthetic vitamins B6 and B12 had a significantly increased risk of developing lung cancer than smokers who did not.

Synthetic foods fortified with synthetic vitamins are not good!

What should you eat? You should eat real food and for most people, at least two or more servings of fruit and three of more servings of vegetables daily, relatively small amounts of meats, whole grains, and olive oil come to mind. Refined grains, sugars (whether natural or artificial), sodas, and GMOs should be highly limited or not consumed at all

God’s word says:

2…Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

People should try to eat real, not artificial, foods. And if you take vitamins and minerals, take the type whose nutrients are 100% food (which is what I personally do).

Notice also the following from 2015:

Americans love to eat hotdogs; they spent $2.5 billion on this processed food last year. But a food analytics lab has found that there are unwanted and potentially dangerous ingredients lurking in hotdogs that consumers are not aware of.

Clear Labs, a startup that uses genomic technology to analyze foods at a molecular level, looked at 345 hotdogs and sausages from 75 brands sold at 10 different food retailers. The company found that 14.4 percent of the products examined contained ingredients that were not disclosed on the label.

The DNA analysis revealed unexpected ingredients as well with some of the products found to contain meat not found on the label such as meat in vegetarian products. Human DNA was also found in 2 percent of the samples and even in some of the vegetarian samples. Some of the ingredients that were advertised on the labels were not likewise found.

“The food industry has been a black box for too long. Food consumers have to trust that food labels are accurate, but that isn’t always the case,” said Clear Labs CEO Sasan Amini. “We’ve found a 10 to 15 percent rate of discrepancy between labeled ingredients and actual ingredients across our internal tests to date.”

Some individuals opt for chicken and turkey sausages to avoid pork but there were evidences of pork substitution in 3 percent of the samples tested. Pork was found to make its way to chicken and turkey sausages.

“Pork is a particularly unwelcome substitution in any food when you consider that significant numbers of people do not eat pork for religious reasons,” the report reads “Pork substitution was an issue in products across the price spectrum being sold at a wide variety of retailers.”

Based on the analysis, Clear Labs recommended that consumers who want to avoid pork steer free of chicken products and opt for Kosher brands like Hebrew National as the Kosher products that were tested were found to be 100 percent pork-free. http://www.techtimes.com/articles/99306/20151025/hotdogs-may-have-undisclosed-ingredients-clear-labs-finds-mystery-meat-human-dna-in-sampled-brands.htm

False labeling is bearing false witness. This is a violation of the ninth commandment. No human should be eating humans or pork.

Two years ago, we put up a video that YouTube censored video that we still have up at BitChute:

Feb 21, 2021

COVID-19: Eat what is good!

US President Joe Biden said on 2/19/21 that the USA may NOT “return to normal” in 2021 because of vaccine and mutation issues. Is there another approach? Would it make sense to improve nutrition to strengthen the immune system and to help people with COVID-19? What about zinc, selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin D? What about avoiding unclean meats? What about eating more fruits and vegetables and items such as pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts? What about eating bovine glandulars? What about herbs? Could fasting help? What about exercise and sunlight? What about masks, lockdowns, junk food, obesity, and weight gain? Dr. Thiel, who possesses a US regionally accredited PhD. in nutrition science from the Union Institute and University, a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California, and a natural scientist license from the State of Alabama, explains why people may wish to consider approaches for their immune system. He also goes over scriptures related to worse pandemics coming (associated with the ride of the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse–Revelation 6:7-8), and the fact that the Bible teaches to “eat what is good” (Isaiah 55:2).

A written article, with references, of related interest is also available titled “Joe Biden: life may not return to normal this year due to COVID mutations; Paul Roberts: The Covid Pandemic Is The Result of Public Health Authorities Blocking Effective Treatment” URL: https://www.cogwriter.com/news/prophecy/joe-biden-life-may-not-return-to-normal-this-year-due-to-covid-mutations-paul-roberts-the-covid-pandemic-is-the-result-of-public-health-authorities-blocking-effective-treatment/

Here is a link to the censored video: COVID-19: Eat what is good!

Yes. lives during COVID could have been saved if the truth about foods and illness was saturating the airwaves instead of being censored.

The American and Anglo-Saxon descended nations are not setting the right example when it comes to diet and health and this does not bode well for them in the future (Proverbs 12:24; Daniel 11:39).

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.
American foods that gross out foreigners A study done in the Fall of 2014 found out which foods that non-USA Americans considered weird or gross that Americans eat. This video discusses those foods, ingredients in some of those foods, and warns against consuming ‘that which is not bread’ (Isaiah 55:2). Dr. Thiel also warns about synthetic vitamins and some of the issues associated with them. He also discusses something promoted by the late Seventh-day Adventist, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg.
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; two short videos are also available: Did Jesus declare all animal flesh food? and COVID, Pandemics, and Unclean Meat.
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?
Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy Are there disadvantages to being overweight? Is junk food really bad for you? Does the Bible discuss overeating and/or obesity? Is overeating having an effect on the US military? What are the ramifications of personal and national health for overeating? What should you eat? This is a sermonette-length YouTubevideo.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here are some related videos: GMO Risks and the Bible and GMOs, Lab meat, Hydrogenation: Safe or Dangerous?
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras?  Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues? A video of related interest is Half human, half pig: What’s the difference?  and Human-Monkey Embryos and Death.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Does God Heal Today? What does the Bible teach? Herbert Armstrong tries to explain this.
UK Study Supports Daniel Diet Daniel and his companions looked better eating more vegetables and avoiding strange meats. Has modern science confirmed this?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught? For a more detailed discussion of the first four commandments, please see the video The Ten Commandments: Loving God. For a more detailed discussion of the last six commandments, please see: The Ten Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor. Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 十条诫命显示爱，违反诫命的就是邪恶的
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings. A related sermon is titled: Christians and the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free draft/unedited 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.
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.

COGwriter

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

1:10:14

7th Commandment: Love and Faithfulness

The Seventh Commandment teaches that people are not to commit adultery. Why? What is adultery? What about fornication, masturbation, pornography, fantasy sex, sexting, and same-sex relations? Are there societal costs for violating the 7th Commandment? What about crime and disease? What did Jesus say about marriage, adultery, and divorce? Is there such a thing as spiritual adultery? Were Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed for their abominations and going after ‘strange flesh’? Was Sodom also destroyed for pride? Do those destroyed in Sodom and Gomorrah have any possible hope? Does the Bible condemn cross-dressing? Does the Bible teach the condoning of homosexual and lesbian relationships? Could marriage be a God-plane relationship teaching us about Christ and His church? Was adultery called a sin before God wrote the Ten Commandments down on Mt. Sinai? Should all that breathe be concerned about avoiding sexual immorality? Were problems with sexual immorality prophesied for the last days? Is marriage supposed to be about love and not lust? What about faithfulness?

Here is a link to the sermon: 7th Commandment: Love and Faithfulness.

Some items of possible interest may include:

FIRST COMMANDMENT: Priorities and the Most Broken Commandment Which commandment is broken the most? Which one is most involved with what should be your top priority? Here is a link to a related sermon: The Most Violated Commandment and Priorities.
SECOND COMMANDMENT: What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did the early Church use icons? What was the position of Christians about such things? A related sermon is available: The Second Commandment, Idols, and Icons.
THIRD COMMANDMENT: Words Matter Are you obeying the Third Commandment? Are you sure? Could you be blaspheming with your euphemisms or life actions? Here is a link to a related sermon: Third Commandment Plus: Words Matter. Here is a link to a shorter video: Was Increased Cursing Prophesied?
FOURTH COMMANDMENT: The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a link to a related sermon: Fourth Commandment: Saturday or Sunday?
FIFTH COMMANDMENT: Honor and Be Honorable The fifth commandment involves family relationships. Is it more than parents and children? What about love and ruling well your household? Here is a link to a related sermon: Honor Your Parents and Rule Honorably.
SIXTH COMMANDMENT: Anger, Murder, Abortion, Sports, Self-Control, & Kindness Is there more to the 6th commandment than not murdering? What about abortion, hate, and violent sports? What is the attitude real Christians should have? Here is a link to a related sermon:: Murder, anger, kindness, and love.
SEVENTH COMMANDMENT: Love and Faithfulness, Not Sexual Immorality The seventh commandment prohibits adultery. Jesus made it clear that it involved more than marital infiedlity. What about the LGBTQ+ movement and the Bible? Here is a link to a related video sermon: 7th Commandment: Love and Faithfulness.
The Ten Commandments in Hebrew This is a photo of a Hebrew document from the 2nd century, B.C.
Husbands Love Your Wives An article written by the late Selmer Hegvold.
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.
Are any types of birth control scripturally allowed? Did Jesus make a statement that might be consistent with birth control? Are there any methods that might be appropriate? What methods would be biblically prohibited? Here is a link a related video: Can Christians Use Birth Control?
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free draft/unedited 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.
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. 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.
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.

COGwriter

Pocket recommended the following:

How to forgive someone who isn’t sorry

Part of our series on America’s struggle for forgiveness.

Forgiveness is often viewed as the “happily ever after” ending in a story of wrongdoing or injustice. Someone enacts harm, the typical arc goes, but eventually sees the error of their ways and offers a heartfelt apology. “Can you ever forgive me?” Then you, the hurt person, are faced with a choice: Show them mercy — granting yourself peace in the process — or hold a grudge forever. …

It’s reasonable to expect an apology when you’re the one who has been hurt or betrayed. But that’s not how it works in practice. In fact, therapist Harriet Lerner writes in her book Why Won’t You Apologize?: Healing Big Betrayals and Everyday Hurts, the worse the offense, the more difficult it can be to get an apology from the person who harmed you. In those instances, Lerner writes, “Their shame leads to denial and self-deception that overrides their ability to orient toward reality.” And beyond this, there are other reasons you might be unable to get the apology you deserve. Maybe the other person isn’t aware of the harm they did to you, or they’ve disappeared, making contact impossible, or they’ve died.

Unfortunately, that puts you in a tough spot. How do you forgive someone who isn’t all that sorry, or who you can’t actually engage with?

To answer this question, Vox spoke to two experts: Robert Enright, a professor of education psychology at the University of Wisconsin Madison and a leader in the scientific study of forgiveness, and Laura Davis, the author of several books about estrangement and reconciliation, … Enright and Davis say that forgiving someone who is unrepentant is absolutely possible; here’s how to approach it.

Expand your view of what forgiveness is

In some ways, it’s easier to define forgiveness by what it isn’t. “Forgiveness is not excusing what the other did; that behavior was wrong, is wrong, and will always be wrong,” Enright says.

Both Enright and Davis say that forgiveness exists separately from reconciliation, and also from accountability — which is why forgiving someone doesn’t require an apology or even their participation. “Reconciliation is a negotiation strategy between two or more people trying to make their way back together to mutual trust,” explains Enright, whereas forgiveness is a one-way endeavor. Put another way: Forgiveness might be a step on the path to reconciliation, but you don’t have to traverse the full route if you’d prefer not to.

Enright also points out that while forgiveness is separate from accountability, it’s not at odds with seeking justice. “Many people think it’s either/or, rather than both,” he says. Forgiving someone can help you take a more clear-eyed approach to justice because you’re no longer, as he put it, “seething with rage.”

Perhaps most importantly, forgiveness doesn’t require you to pretend the hurt didn’t happen, to forgive and forget, or to ever speak to the person again. “When you forgive someone, it doesn’t mean you have to have any kind of ongoing relationship with them,” Davis says. “It’s an internal shift, where you’re no longer carrying the wound in the same way.”

Enright defines forgiveness as a moral virtue. Moral virtues (like kindness, honesty, and patience) are typically focused on how they benefit others; these are things you do primarily for another person’s sake, regardless of whether or not they have “earned” it.

“Forgiveness is a special kind of moral virtue that always and without exception occurs when the other person has been unfair to you,” Enright says. …

“Forgiveness is my safety valve against the kind of toxic anger that could kill me,” Enright says. “Waiting for the apology is to misunderstand your free will, and it’s to misunderstand the medicine that is forgiveness, that you should be able to take freely, whatever you want.” …

Enright says it’s reasonable to want to tend to your anger when someone has hurt you. “You can hang on to anger for a short time because it shows you’re a person of worth and dignity, and no one should treat you this way,” he says. “But then my question would be, if you hang on to that anger, what is it doing to you? Yes, it will empower you for a while. But characteristically over time, it brings us down with fatigue, rumination, becoming far more pessimistic in life.” 03/25/22 https://www.vox.com/22967752/how-to-forgive-someone-who-isnt-sorry-wont-apologize

Yes, it is good for us to be merciful and forgiving:

17 The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.  (Proverbs 11:17)

In Matthew 18:7, Jesus said “offenses must come” so we should expect to be offended.

As far as forgiving someone who has not repented, Jesus prayed:

29 … “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:29)

Remember that the Apostle Paul taught we were to imitate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Our God is most merciful:

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.  (Psalm 103:8)

Mercy mirrors God’s very character. God is truly a forgiving Father. We have to be His merciful and forgiving children.

Perhaps it should be mentioned that the NKJV Bible has the word mercy 282 times, mercies 38 times, merciful 39 times, forgive 53 times, forgivers twice, forgiving 4 times, and forgiveness 8 times. So a total of 426 times. Mer99cy and forgiveness are important to God and He wants you to know that, which is why His word teaches about them.

Now let’s look at some scriptural quotes related to what Jesus, Paul, Peter, and James taught related to mercy and forgiveness

First from Jesus:

35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:35-36)

The Apostle Paul wrote:

4 … God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us (Ephesians 2:4)

Notice that love and mercy are tied together. If you want to develop love towards others as the Bible teaches, you need to be merciful.

Jesus also taught:

7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

Notice that this promise does not teach that the unmerciful will obtain mercy.

Since, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), we all need mercy.

Jesus also taught:

23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. (Matthew 23:23, New Living Translation)

Mercy is important and many people who think they are worshipping God have wrong priorities.

The Apostle Paul wrote the Colossians:

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. (Colossians 1:9-12)

Being longsuffering includes being able to forgive trespasses against us.  Paul also told the Collossians:

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. (Colossians 3:12-14)

Yes, love and forgive. Yet many, including Christians, do not seem to want to forgive and let go.

The Apostle Peter taught:

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. (2 Peter 1:5-7)

Yes, we need self-control. The Bible says:

19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21)

It is good for us to forgive. We need to forgive and trust God to right most wrongs.

And God will judge.

But God also is merciful. We all need to be grateful that:

13 Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13)

Christians need to exercise the fruits of the Spirit and be more like God (Matthew 5:48; 1 Corinthians 11:1). And God has much more mercy, patience, and forgiveness than most seem to realize.

UPDATE 04/06/22: The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

19:26

Mercy and Forgiving Someone Who is NOT Sorry

We have all been hurt or offended by someone. As Christians, we know we are supposed to forgive. But what about forgiving someone who is not sorry? In this message, Dr. Thiel goes over ideas about forgiving the unrepentant from secular writers Harriet Lerner, Robert Enright, and Laura Davis. He then quotes the Apostle Paul and some passages in the Book of Proverbs. Dr. Thiel further quotes Jesus, the Apostle Peter, the Apostle James, and more from the Apostle Paul explaining why it is good for your well being to forgive and show mercy even to those who do not apologize to you. Mercy is one of the weightier matters of the law that Christians are to have.

That being said, God has a plan. And do not think that people are “getting away with” poor behavior. Notice something that the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.  (Galatians 6:7-10)

Doing good to all, including the household of faith, includes forgiving those you feel have offended you.

Consider also that all will be judged:

17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

18 Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.  (1 Peter 4:17-19)

All will be judged.

Don’t be puffed up:

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Show love and forgive.

Consider also that you have almost certainly offended people you have not apologized to. Jesus said:

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)

To be a true Christian, we need to be forgiven as well as forgive.

32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.  (Ephesians 4:32)

Our God is a merciful God.

Christians are to be merciful people.

It is because our God is a merciful God that He has a plan to make eternity better for all of us, as well as those who offended us.

And in the future, all who will accept God’s ways will make our eternity better.

Do your part now by forgiving and being merciful.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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.
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’.

COGwriter

American Michael Snyder posted the following:

2023: A Year When Everything Is Suddenly Breaking Loose All At Once

If it seems to you like everything is breaking loose all at once, it isn’t just your imagination.  At the beginning of January, I warned that the overall theme of this year would be “here we go”, and global events have certainly been accelerating … we are in the midst of the worst banking crisis since 2008.  … 186 more banks are now at risk of failing, and if large numbers of banks do collapse in the months ahead that could push us over the edge into a severe economic depression.  So it is the perfect time for the elite to distract us with a major political stunt so that we will all take our eyes off of the financial disaster that is rapidly unfolding all around us… criminals … are “allowed to roam the streets”, a CNN crew in San Francisco … got robbed again even though they had actually brought along a security guard to protect their vehicles…

In Portland, addicts literally smoke fentanyl right in front of children in broad daylight and the authorities do nothing…

This is our country now.

We are a complete and total mess, and our problems just get worse with each passing month.

For example, our proxy war with Russia is getting dangerously close to becoming a shooting war. …

We are definitely living during a time of wars and rumors of wars.

And we are also witnessing major earthquakes in diverse places. …

back on March 12th the sun released an absolutely gigantic coronal mass ejection…

Meanwhile, people continue to mysteriously collapse all around us. …

Each one of us is ingesting quite a bit of plastic each week, and all of that plastic is literally ripping up our insides…

All of human history has been building up to a grand crescendo, and we get to be here for it.

Personally, there is no other time in human history that I would have rather lived than right now.

So don’t get down about all of the bad things that are happening.

Instead, focus on what you can do to make a difference for good. 03/19/23 http://endoftheamericandream.com/2023-a-year-when-everything-is-suddenly-breaking-loose-all-at-once/

As far as signs of the end go, the Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

24:08

These Signs of the 4 Horsemen Have Begun

Are we at the time of the ride of at least some of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse? If so, are many prophecy watchers missing signs associated with them? History shows that authoritarian totalitarian regimes tend to arise after famines and/or pestilences. Those are events associated with three of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Could the beginning of sorrows, and the associated ride of the first horseman of false ecumenical religion, have started in the Fall of 2009? What is the significance of this rider having a bow? Is Satan the prince of the power of the air? Did Dr. Thiel warn of a prophetic threat of a “novel” coronavirus back in 2013? Could COVID-19 been related to the taking away the peace from the earth that is associated with the ride of the red horse, the second horsemen of war? What are some of the ramifications of the Russia-Ukraine military conflict and the opening of the second seal? Was Amos inspired to write that God does nothing without revealing it to his servants the prophets? Who warned of these matters? The ride of the third horse, the black horse of famine and food price inflation–specifically wheat, barley, edible oils, and wine. Since Ukraine is a major exporter of the first three, could this, as well as fertilizer shortages, have anything to do with the ride of that horseman? The pale horse of the fourth seal mentions one-quarter of humankind being subject to being killed by the sword, hunger, and pestilence–will this be a factor in the rise of the Beast of Revelation 13? Is persecution associated with the start of the Great tribulation and the rise of the Beast? Why is the Beast going to be in charge of a European-based empire? Will the opening of the first four seals and the starts of the rides of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse get Europe to reorganize such as is prophesied in Revelation 17:12-13? What does Jesus say you should do? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more in this video.

Here is a link to our video: These Signs of the 4 Horsemen Have Begun.

Now, Michael Snyder wrote that we should focus on doing good. Christians are to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).

As far as being ready to do things in these times, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video for our Bible News Prophecy program:

16:03

‘Get Ready: The World is About to Need You’

According to a secular source, related to COVID-19, Matt Smith wrote, “We could have been better prepared.” He also went over many issues, including lockdowns, illness, and deaths that should be anticipated related to COVID-19. But he then said, “Get ready. The world is about to need you.” Are you willing to step up spiritually and support the Philadelphian work? Most end time Christians are prophesied not to do so. Do the words the Mordecai passed on to Queen Esther have meaning for you today? Could you have been called into the Kingdom of God for a time such as this? What are the plans that God might have for you? Are you one who may have been prophesied to “instruct many” in the end time? Are you watching and praying? Are you cold or lukewarm when it comes to God’s work? Are you mainly a hearer of the word of a doer? Dr. Thiel goes over these subjects.

Here is a link to our video: ‘Get Ready: The World is About to Need You’.

And for Philadelphian Christians, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

Here is a link to the video: Will YOU Instruct Many?

What is His purpose?

His purpose for individual human beings is for them to be able to give love in a unique way to make eternity better for themselves and everyone else.

More scriptural and other details are in the free online book: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you?

Regarding why this world needs you, you might find the following Continuing Church of God sermon helpful:

1:14:43

The Mystery of YOU

Why did God make YOU? What is the biblical meaning pf life? Are you supposed to do good? Is there a place for works? What will you be rewarded for? What about love and the commandments? Does God have a specific role for you personally? Do you really trust God? Will you be able to give love in a unique manner in order to make eternity better for yourself and others? What about character and deification? Why did God create anything? This is third part of a three-part sermon series by Dr. Thiel.

This sermon series is based on the following free online book: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you?

Here is a link to the sermon: The Mystery of YOU.

Yes, life has a purpose!

And if you are willing, you can make eternity better for yourself and all who will later hear God’s call.

That is beautiful!

We also have the following new video:

14:22

Could God be Creating Something Beautiful in You?

A report based on CDC data showed a massive increase in hopelessness and sadness in American teenage females. Plus, 30% reported considering suicide. Does God have a plan for you? Jared Dyson asserted that God is creating something beautiful in you.” Is that possible? Is there really a God? Can you prove if God exists? If so, does His purpose for you involve something beautiful? Do all the tests, sufferings, and trials you have been through in this life have any eternal purpose? Could they be preparing you to give love in a unique manner in order for you to make eternity better for yourself and everyone else? Does God actually consider all the works and issues you have faced? Do you, as an individual, have a unique role that God knows? Can Jesus help you when you are facing difficulties? Could your purpose in this life be to build character so that you can maximize your potential and increase how much you can make eternity better? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Could God be Creating Something Beautiful in You?

Yes, 2023 has been turbulent. But Christians need not “sorrow as others who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Do good. Live as a Philadelphian Christian.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

What is a True Philadelphian? What is one? Should you be a true Philadelphian? Here are links to two related videos: Be a Real Philadelphian Christian and Be a Philadephian Witness.
What is a Philadelphian? Many claim to be part of the Philadelphia era of the Church, but is claiming enough? This article has biblical and historical evidence about who really are the Philadelphians.
Are the Laodiceans the Modern Sadducees and Pharisees? Discusses similarities of the Sadducees and Pharisees to various COGs in this end-time.
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else? Here is a link to a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety,’ Zephaniah 2 to ‘gather together,’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on fleeing to a place–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of related interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety?  Here are two related items in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra? and Existe un Lugar de Seguridad.
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?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos. Here is a link to a related sermon: Physical preparedness for Christians.
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 2:17-18?
Continuing Church of God, Elijah, and Restoring All Things Have all things been restored? Is there restoration going on? Is there supposed to be a 21st century Elijah? Here is are links to two related sermons: 21st Century Elijah and CCOG: Restoring All Things. Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: La restauracion de todas las cosas.

(From Pixabay)

COGwriter

April 15th is traditionally the day income tax returns are due in the USA (the date is extended if the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday). Many in the USA are now scrambling to try to get their returns done (though the deadline was extended for filing this year).

Governments around the world spend tax money on many things that Christians should not support. This was also the case in Roman times.

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

In the USA, one of the biggest bites on our income is taxes. There are state and federal income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes and other taxes. And in some countries, especially in Europe, taxes are higher. In the USA, and elsewhere, additional taxes, such as “wealth taxes” are likely to be proposed and implemented.

What did Jesus teach in the Bible about taxes?

Jesus taught that people were to pay taxes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

25 He said, “Yes.”

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

26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”

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

The Apostle John taught:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Years ago, the Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our YouTube channel called Bible New Prophecy:

Here is a link to that video: Should Christians Pay Taxes?

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

Taxes What caused the descendants of Israel to pay taxes? Should Christians pay taxes? If you prefer, or additionally, you could watch the video Should Christians Pay Taxes?
The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had? What are some of the scriptural limits on ecclesiastical authority? Do some commit organizational idolatry? Here is a Spanish language version La Biblia, Policarpo, Herbert W. Armstrong, y Roderick C. Meredith sobre el gobierno de la Iglesia. Here is a link to a sermon titled Church Governance.
What is the Gospel? True religion should be based upon the true gospel. What are some of the different gospels and where did they come from? Do you believe the true or a false gospel? Who is preaching the gospel? Here is a version in Korean 복음이란 무엇인가?
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.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? Two related sermons are available Millennial Utopia and The Millennium.
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 20xx? 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?
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.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There are also two YouTube video related to this: Living as a Christian: How and Why? and Living as a Christian: Pure Milk of the Word.
Tithing Questions and Some Answers Answers questions about tithing and also addresses some non-biblical arguments against tithing. Should people tithe?Here is a link to a related sermon: Tithes and Tithing. Here is a link to an older sermon: Tithing Answers from the Bible.
Ending Your FINANCIAL WORRIES How can people help themselves and others financially? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. A video of related interest would be: Dealing With Financial Worries.
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: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic 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?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy,Roman Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy? What is the origin of this in France? What is prophesied to happen to them? A two-part sermon related to history and prophecy is available online: The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben and France and Prophecy.
Ten clues tying Belgium and Luxembourg with the tribe of Asher Who did some in Belgium and Luxembourg descend from?
Ten clues tying Zebulun with the Dutch Who did some in the Netherlands descend from?
Ten Prophetic Clues Concerning Naphtali – Sweden Do the Swedes have any ties to the biblical tribe of Naphtali? Some think so
‘Ten Prophetic Clues Concerning Dan – the Irish’ Not part of the ‘144,000’ Could the Irish and Danes have descent from the tribe of Dan?
Could Switzerland be descended from Gad? Is it really prepared for what is prophecied? This article has clues.
Judah is not a ‘lost tribe’ and the Jews were NOT black Are there prophecies about Judah? Where do many of his descendants live?