Church of God News

(Old WCG booklet cover)

COGwriter

In his newsletter this month, Mike Gendron led with the following:

Discerning Truth in a World of Deception

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

What Is Discernment?

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

Why Is Discernment Necessary?

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

Why Do We Need Discernment?

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

Censored News recommended the following article:

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

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

The following is an excerpt from Ephesians 2.

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

And again in Ephesians 6.

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

“The Prince Of The Air”

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

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

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

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

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

We have been deceived of that there is no doubt!

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

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

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

Satan’s broadcast has deceived the whole world:

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

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

Speaking of deception, notice the following from Michael Snyder:

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

March 30, 2021

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

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

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

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

This isn’t what we were promised.

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

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

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

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

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

Is COVID the end of the world?

Of course not.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isaiah, however, warned against doing that:

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

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

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

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

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

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

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:18-32)

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

Is this a conspiracy?

Isaiah wrote:

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Shmura Matzo (Unleavened Bread is Used for Passover)

COGwriter

The Christian Passover for 2023 is after sunset April 4th, which is the start of Nisan/Abib 14 this year.

April 5th after sunset, which is when the 15th of Nisan begins, is called the Night to be Observed (watch also The Night to Be Much Observed).

The date of the Christian Passover has been controversial for millenia. We in the Continuing Church of God believe that we follow Jesus’ example, as well as those of the early faithful Christians, and hence observe it towards the beginning of the 14th of Nisan.

Yet, TPM’s late William Dankenbring (who was once a WCG writer) wrote an article titled: “SEVENTEEN PROOFS Why Passover Should Be Observed on Nisan 15!”

But, of course, although many Jews did keep the 15th (and still do), that is not when Jesus observed the Passover, nor when the original Passover was observed.

The Bible is clear that the 14th of the month is God’s Passover and the 15th day begins a different time:

5 On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD (Leviticus 23:5-6, NKJV).

⁵ “The fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, is the Passover of Yahweh (Leviticus 23:5, NJB)

5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord’s passover. (Leviticus 23:5, KJV)

There is only one “twilight” for the 14th and that is right after sunset that BEGINS the day. Thus, the 14th is clearly the day of God’s Passover.

Now, the following is the first place in the Bible that the calendar date of the Passover is specifically mentioned:

Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire–its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover (Exodus 12:3-11, NKJV).

6 And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month: and the whole multitude of the children of Israel shall sacrifice it in the evening. (Exodus 12:6, Douay-Rheims)

Notice that the fourteenth day of the month is the Lord’s Passover and that is when the lambs were sacrificed. It should be noted that the Douay-Rheims is a Catholic approved translation of scripture, yet they will observe April 9th as Passover, while calling it Easter in the English languages and switching its emphasis away from the biblical teachings on Passover.

But getting back to TPM, interestingly it agrees with the Old Testament as it admits that the New Testament teaches that the Passover lambs are to be sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan:

According to the gospel of John, Nisan 14 is the very day the Passover lambs would have been slain – the day before the high holy day of the first day of Unleavened Bread (John 19:14-16)…Christ Himself died, as OUR “Passover lamb…Paul himself declares, “For indeed, Christ our PASSOVER, was sacrificed for us” (I Cor.5:7). This implies that He was sacrificed at the appointed time when ALL the Passover lambs were being killed, which was on the afternoon of Nisan 14” (I Cor.5:7) (Dankenbring W.F. What Year and Date Was Christ Crucified? http://www.triumphpro.com/passover_nisan_new_moons_29_31_ad.htm 6/20/06).

Hence, although I would have selected a different proof text, there is agreement that the Passover lambs were sacrificed sometime on the 14th of Nisan. Some would have been sacrificed at twilight and others apparently later. Jesus kept the Passover at twilight and was killed later on the 14th.

Who does the Bible say was the Lamb of God? Well, Jesus the Christ of course:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29).

And was Jesus the Passover lamb sacrificed for us?

For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Thus, according to the Bible (and even TPM), the Passover lambs were sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan. Jesus was the Lamb of God who was the Passover sacrificed for us. Thus, if one agrees with TPM that the New Testament teaches that the Passover lambs were sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan, then one should agree that the New Testament Passover should also be observed on the 14th of Nisan. TPM however, seems to feel that the Passover is to be observed the night after the lambs are killed.

What About Jewish Practices?

TPM claimed that the day that Jews NOW commonly observe is proof that Passover for Christians must be the 15th of Nisan.

Here is some of its statements along that line:

Proof No. 5 — the Day the Jews Observe

The apostle Paul wrote, “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? MUCH EVERY WAY,” he answered his own question. He went on: “chiefly, because that unto THEM were committed the ORACLES OF GOD” (Romans 3:1-2). God entrusted His Word and by extension His Holy Days and revelations TO THE JEWS for them to be preserved throughout the generations and centuries and millennia. Were it not for the Jews’ faithfulness to this command, we would not even possess the entire Old Testament of the Bible, where the laws and commandments of God are all recorded!

The Jews all understand the truth about Passover, and all orthodox Jews to this very day, and all Judaism as a whole, observes Passover on NISAN 15, just as their forefathers and ancestors have done, century after century after century! (Dankenbring WF. Come out of Babylon, My People! SEVENTEEN PROOFS Why PASSOVER Should Be Observed on Nisan 15! http://www.triumphpro.com/passover17.htm 6/21/06).

The problem is that most Jews have not been faithful to the original date. And while the Jews know which day is the fourteenth of Nisan, the fact that they added additional dates for the Passover (and some of the other Holy Days for those of the diaspora) does not make them the judge of how or when to observe the Holy Days (this is to be done by the “body of Christ”, Colossians 2:17, AFV). One of the reasons they did this is that they confused the meal they take on the 15th (the “night to be much observed,” Exodus 12:42 KJV, see also The Night to Be Observed) with the Passover celebration (many Jews still have meals on both nights, though it is not clear that they still know why).

Here is proof from the Jewish Encyclopedia that the Jews should realize that Passover is on the 14th:

Lev. xxiii., however, seems to distinguish between Passover, which is set for the fourteenth day of the month, and (the Festival of Unleavened Bread; ἑορτή τῶν ἀζύμων, Luke xxii. 1; Josephus, “B. J.” ii. 1, § 3), appointed for the fifteenth day. Passover. (Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906)

Here are two other explanations as to why there has been confusion amongst Jews:

Two Passovers

The gospels appear to say that the Messiah ate a Passover meal with the twelve on the evening beginning Nisan 14, and John appears to say Jews were having their Passover meal one day later. There are different theories to explain this.

1. The Sadducees and Pharisees disagreed on the day of Passover. The Sadducees (more conservative group) believed the Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread were separate feast days. They held Passover on the fourteenth as God decreed in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. Those of the majority opinion, including the Pharisees, held Passover on the fifteenth. Jesus may have been following both dates by having Passover with the disciples on the fourteenth and becoming the Passover lamb on the fifteenth.

2. Thousands of people would come to Jerusalem to have their lambs ritually slain in the Temple. If they only had one day in which to prepare for the Passover, it would have been extremely difficult to have slaughtered all the lambs brought in to be sacrificed. Therefore, they worked on two different time scales. The northern part of the country went with the old way of dating (starting from morning and going to the following morning). The southern part of the country followed the official dating method (from evening to evening). Thus, there were two times when lambs were being killed in the Temple for sacrifice (Sampson R & Pierce L. A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays. Heart of Wisdom Publishing June 2001, p. 112)

Thus, for whatever reason, the Jews got a little bit confused. With some keeping the correct date–the same date that Jesus kept (and He would have known which date was biblically correct). Many forget that Jesus condemned the Jews for relying on non-biblical traditions above the Bible (e.g. Mark 7:9-13).

What Happened Before Passover?

TPM argued that last meal that Jesus ate before His crucifixion was before the Passover, thus was not a Passover meal:

What, Then, Was the “Last Supper”?…

In fact, the apostle John himself writes, “Now BEFORE the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come . . . and supper being ended, the devil having already put it in the heart of Judas Iscariot . . . to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from SUPPER [the “Last Supper”], and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself” (John 13:1-4). He then began to wash the disciples’ feet (vs.5-12).

John plainly calls this mean a “SUPPER” – not the “Passover” meal! He plainly says it occurred “BEFORE” the upcoming Feast of the Passover (verse 1). There is NO WAY that meal could have been the “Passover,” as so many seem to assume! (Dankenbring W.F. What Year and Date Was Christ Crucified? http://www.triumphpro.com/passover_nisan_new_moons_29_31_ad.htm 6/20/06).

Now plainly John says this final “supper” was “before” the Passover! Therefore it could not have been the “Passover”!…

Therefore, when we understand it, there is absolutely NO PROOF that the “last supper” was actually the “Passover” itself, as so many people assume. (Dankenbring WF. John 19:14 — What Do You Mean, “About the Sixth Hour”? http://www.triumphpro.com/john_19,_sixth_hour.htm 6/23/06).

Jesus sent Peter and John telling them, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” In context, then, He is telling them to “Prepare for the coming Passover Feast” – all the seven days of “Passover” (verse 1). They had to prepare – that is, obtain “unleavened bread,” and all the things necessary for observing the Passover for seven days. That is why this day was called a day of preparation.’ Jesus was telling His disciples to ‘PREPARE’ for the up-coming Passover – that is, to GET READY and make preparations. He did not say the meal that very night would be the Passover! Luke plainly calls it “supper” – not “Passover” – as we shall see! (Dankenbring WF. Was the Lord’s Supper Really the Passover? Prophecy Flash, March-April 2010.)

Contrary to what TPM wrote above, Jesus DOES call this meal the Passover in Matthew, Mark, and Luke:

18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”‘”

19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating (Matthew 26:18-21).

14 Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”‘ 15 Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”

16 So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.

17 In the evening He came with the twelve. 18 Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.” (Mark 14:14-18)

15 With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer..(Luke 22:15).

Also, contrary to what TPM wrote above, TPM’s contention of what John plainly says is in error. Additionally, TPM’s quoting of those passages gives the appearance that certain events were absolutely together when the reading of the entire context shows that this is NOT the case.

A review of the Greek in John 13:1 shows that before the Passover that Jesus knew His hour had come and that He loved His disciples. It does not say that He had SUPPER before the Passover.

Below are two literal translations, the first of which also shows the relevant Strong’s number of each of the Greek words:

4253 1161 3588 1859 3588 3957 1492 3588
before Now the feast of the passover, when knew the

2424 3754 2064 846 3588 5610 2443
Jesus that was come his the hour that

3327 1537 3588 2889 5127 4314 3588
he should depart out of the world this unto the

3962 25 3588 9999 2398 3588 1722 3588
Father, having loved which were his own the in the

2889 1519 9999 5056. 25 846
world, unto the end. he loved them. (Interlinear Transliterated Bible. Copyright (c) 1994 by Biblesoft).

And before the feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should move from this world to the Father, loving (His) own in the world, He loved them to (the) end (Green J.P. Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, 3rd ed. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Mi, 1996).

(Note: I added the term “the” in the four places where J. Green left it blank.)

Thus to teach that John 13 plainly states that supper was before the Passover is not supported by the main verse (13:1). Secondarily, the word supper is used in the next verse. The Greek word used is transliterated as deipnon, a term normally referring to the evening meal:

deipnon (dipe’-non)…dinner, i.e. the chief meal (usually in the evening) (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

A dinner meal was normally in late afternoon or the evening (and the evening begins at/after twilight). Jesus’ acts immediately after the meal was completed did occur on the Tuesday evening portion of the 14th of Nisan. They were NOT on the 13th as some have suggested (this is also confirmed by 1 Corinthians 11:23 which will be quoted later).

Thus, John 13 is clearly supportive of a 14th Passover.

Furthermore, the real question is how did God view this particular meal, or at least the symbolism after the meal? Notice what Jesus told His disciples about this meal:

And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?” And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ‘ Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.” So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”(Luke 22:8-19).

Thus, it is clear that on that evening of the 14th, Jesus and His disciples observed the Passover. TPM may wish to assert that the meal was eaten before sunset, but since the passover lambs were not killed until the twilight on the 14th (Exodus 12:6) and the verse specifically says that Jesus did not sit down until the hour had come, the fact is that this is the Passover according to Jesus. This is when He implemented the footwashing, the wine, and the bread–it should be noted that Paul clearly teaches that this was done at night (1 Corinthians 11:23). And we are to do this in remembrance of Jesus, and since Passover is an annual 14th of Nisan event (Numbers 9:2-5), this means on the 14th shortly after sunset.

And that is what we in the Continuing Church of God (as well as most in CG7 and other COG groups) do.

The following chart may be of assistance to many who wonder about the sequence of events and dates in the Book of Exodus:

TPM Followed Error

Astoundingly, TPM stated that the early church kept the 15th based on faulty, inaccurate, information. Look at the following:

Proof No. 16 — Proof of the Early Church

When did the early Christian Church, in the days of the first and second centuries, observe the Passover? What does the record of Church history say? Samuel Bacchiocchi, in his scholarly book From Sabbath to Sunday.- A Historical Investigation of the Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity, wrote:

“Moreover we know from the Quartodeciman’s sources (i.e. those who kept Passover on Nisan 14 ACCORDING TO THE JEWISH RECKONING), which apparently represent a DIRECT CONTINUATION OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH, that the PASCHAL FEAST WAS INDEED OBSERVED BY CHRISTIANS. Its celebration … occurred … as well stated by J. Jeremias, ‘at the SAME TIME AS THE JEWISH PASSOVER, that is, on the NIGHT OF THE 15TH OF NISAN. . .” (page 81).

Bacchiocchi writes, in plain language, later on in his monumental classic work:

“. . . Epiphanius (ca. A.D. 315-403) suggests that UNTIL A.D. 135 Christians EVERYWHERE observed Passover ON THE JEWISH DATE, namely, ON NISAN 15, irrespective of the day of the week” (ibid.).

This is plain, incontrovertible PROOF that both the Jews, and early Christians, observed the Passover — and they both did so ON NISAN 15 — NOT at the beginning of Nisan 14, as some churches claim should be done, today! Nor did they substitute “Easter” Sunday in its place, as later paganized Gentiles began to do, especially after the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D…

Now you know the truth. What are you going to do about it? (Dankenbring WF. Come out of Babylon, My People! SEVENTEEN PROOFS Why PASSOVER Should Be Observed on Nisan 15! http://www.triumphpro.com/passover17.htm accessed in 2005 then later on 6/21/06).

This is one of the most ridiculous proofs that TPM used.

As far as what to do about it, I personally took several steps. First, I looked up the actual writing of Epiphanius to see if he wrote that W. Dankenbring said he wrote. When it was clear that citation was wrong, in the Spring of 2005, I even wrote the author of the above (William Dankenbring) to inform him that Dr. Bacchiocchi erred on page 81 of that book (and I did inform Dr. Bacchiocchi also), but that Dr. Bacchiocchi’s book has the information correct on page 161. Yet, TPM would not correct the above error.

Thus when I confronted W.F. Dankenbring with the proof, he refused it. I offered to FAX him the relevant page from Epiphanius if he would provide me his FAX number, but he failed to provide it and later died. How can anyone rely on the writings of one who is relying on a secondary source he has been told is wrong who also refuses to even look at the primary source? He was unwilling to look at the truth or correct his error since a year later, he still had the wrong information up.

He did NOT properly act upon the truth.

That being said, there was some controversy associated with the date of Passover that began in the second century. Some wanted the original date of the 14th, some wanted Sunday instead, while some others wanted the 15th.

Around 155 A.D. Polycarp of Smyrna went to Rome to deal with various heretics and he tried to persuade the Roman bishop Anicetus not to change Passover to an Easter Sunday holiday. Irenaeus records this about Passover:

And when the blessed Polycarp was sojourning in Rome in the time of Anicetus, although a slight controversy had arisen among them as to certain other points…For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp to forego the observance [in his own way], inasmuch as these things had been always observed by John the disciple of our Lord, and by other apostles with whom he had been conversant; nor, on the other hand, could Polycarp succeed in persuading Anicetus to keep [the observance in his way], for he maintained that he was bound to adhere to the usage of the presbyters who preceded him. And in this state of affairs they held fellowship with each other; and Anicetus conceded to Polycarp in the Church the celebration of the Eucharist, by way of showing him respect (Irenaeus. FRAGMENTS FROM THE LOST WRITINGS OF IRENAEUS. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Excerpted from Volume I of The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, editors); American Edition copyright © 1885. Electronic version copyright © 1997 by New Advent, Inc).

For it was in Rome and Greek Jerusalem that the habit of changing the date of Passover began.

It may be of interest to note “And in Rome … Anicetus assumed the leadership of the Christians there … But Justin was especially prominent in those days” (Eusebius Church History. Book IV, Chapter 11). This may indicate that the heretic Justin Martyr influenced Anicetus so much that he would not agree to only observe the Nisan 14 Passover (Justin opposed various biblical practices).

However, those in Asia Minor, did not change the date in the second century.

Apollinaris was a church leader of Hierapolis in Phrygia of Asia Minor. Around 180 A.D. he wrote (possibly because some wanted Sunday or others the 15th):

The fourteenth day, the true Passover of the Lord; the great sacrifice, the Son of God instead of the lamb, who was bound, who bound the strong, and who was judged, though Judge of living and dead, and who was delivered into the hands of sinners to be crucified, who was lifted up on the horns of the unicorn, and who was pierced in His holy side, who poured forth from His side the two purifying elements, water and blood, word and spirit, and who was buried on the day of the passover, the stone being placed upon the tomb (Apollinaris. From the Book Concerning Passover. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Excerpted from Volume I of The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, editors; American Edition copyright © 1885. Copyright © 2001 Peter Kirby).

One Anglican scholar noted:

…there is no doubt that Apollinarius was a Quartodeciman…Those who kept Passover in the evening understood it to be a repetition of the Lord’s Supper (Stewart-Sykes A. Melito of Sardis On Pascha. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood (NY), 2001, p. 81).

Melito of Sardis of Asia Minor, probably by 180 A.D., wrote the following on Passover:

When Servilius Paulus was proconsul of Asia, at the time that Sagaris suffered martyrdom, there arose a great controversy at Laodicea concerning the time of the celebration of the Passover, which on that occasion had happened to fall at the proper season (Melito. Translation by Roberts and Donaldson. On the passover. Online version copyright © 2001 Peter Kirby. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/melito.html 11/18/06).

Click here for a complete version of The Homily On the Passover by Melito. If your church does not teach you about the Passover and why you should observe it, your church simply is not following the teachings and practices of Early Christianity. A decade or so after Melito’s death, Roman Bishop Victor tried to enforce the preferred Roman Sunday date for Passover and stop Christians from following the biblical date of Nisan 14.

The Greco-Roman Catholic writer Eusebius recorded that Polycrates of Ephesus, around 195 A.D. wrote the following to the Roman Bishop Victor who, as the previous writing showed, wanted all who professed Christ to change Passover from the 14th of Nisan to Sunday:

We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord’s coming, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis; and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter, who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and, moreover, John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and, being a priest, wore the sacerdotal plate. He fell asleep at Ephesus. And Polycarp in Smyrna, who was a bishop and martyr; and Thraseas, bishop and martyr from Eumenia, who fell asleep in Smyrna. Why need I mention the bishop and martyr Sagaris who fell asleep in Laodicea, or the blessed Papirius, or Melito, the Eunuch who lived altogether in the Holy Spirit, and who lies in Sardis, awaiting the episcopate from heaven, when he shall rise from the dead? All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith. And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have closely followed. For seven of my relatives were bishops; and I am the eighth. And my relatives always observed the day when the people put away the leaven. I, therefore, brethren, who have lived sixty-five years in the Lord, and have met with the brethren throughout the world, and have gone through every Holy Scripture, am not affrighted by terrifying words. For those greater than I have said ‘ We ought to obey God rather than man’ (Eusebius. Church History, Book V, Chapter 24. Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert. Excerpted from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series Two, Volume 1. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. American Edition, 1890. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Notice that Polycrates said that he and the other early church leaders (like the Apostles Philip and John, and their successors like Polycarp, Thraseas, Sagaris, Papirius, Melito) would not deviate from the Bible, and that they knew the Bible taught them to keep the Passover on the correct date, and not on a Sunday (unless that was the correct date, as it was last year). Also notice that they always observed the day when the people put away the leaven. Polycrates also reminded the Roman bishop that true followers of Christ “obey God rather than men”.

Hence it is clear that throughout the second century, the churches in Asia Minor continued to observe the Passover on the 14th of Nisan (and for doing so, they were labeled as Quartodecimans, fourteenthers, by the Romans), unlike the Romans, and they refused to accept the authority of any Roman bishop over scripture.

While many English speaking people are unaware, the date called Easter in English is supposed to be a change of the date for Passover. For one of several proofs, notice that the Catholic Priest Bede (also known as “the Venerable Bede”) recorded from a Catholic Abbot named Wilfrid who was trying to justify near the beginning of the eighth century why it was acceptable to not follow the Apostle John’s practices regarding Passover and change the 14th to an Easter Sunday:

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

Many languages use a term meaning Passover, like pascha, and hence somewhat realize that they are supposed to be observing Passover, though they observe an event more resembling ancient Easter.

Notice what the Roman Catholic priest and historian Bellarmino Bagatti wrote related to the fourth century:

…the inhabitants of Syria, of Cilcia and of Mesopotamia were still celebrating Easter {Passover} with the Jews…

(Bagatti, Bellarmino. Translated by Eugene Hoade. The Church from the Gentiles in Palestine. Nihil obstat: Ignatius Mancini, 1 Februari 1970. Imprimi potest: Herminius Roncari, 26 Februari 1970. Imprimatur: +Albertus Gori, die 28 Februarii 1970. Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem, 1971, pp. 47-48).

The scholars of the Greco-Roman faiths all realize that what is celebrated now and called “Easter” was supposed to be an observation of Passover.

Why the change of date?

The respected Protestant scholar J.B. Lightfoot specifically wrote:

the Churches of Asia Minor which regulated their Easter festival by the Jewish passover without regard to the day of the week, but with those of Rome and Alexandria and Gaul which observed another rule; thus avoiding even the semblance of Judaism (Lightfoot, Joseph Barber. Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. Macmillan and co., limited, 1910. Original from the University of California. Digitized Oct 16, 2007, p. 331).

Yet, no early Christian (or even Catholic) called Passover “Easter.” Nearly all realized that Christians were supposed to observe Passover. And the truly faithful kept it on the 14th of Nisan, not the 15th and not on a Sunday that was not the 14th.

In the second century, it was reported that Passover was an annual event and that it was held at night (Epistula Apostolorum, Chapter 15 as shown in Elliot JK. The apocryphal New Testament: a collection of apocryphal Christian literature in an English translation, reprint edition. Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 565). The Eastern Orthodox realize that this is so, as one of their priests has written:

Pascha is the feast of universal redemption. Our earliest sources for the an­nual celebration of the Christian Pascha come to us from the second century…The feast, however, must have originated in the apostolic period…According to the earliest documents, Pascha is described as a nocturnal celebration…(Calivas, Alkiviadis C. The Origins of Pascha and Great Week – Part I. Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1992. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith8504 viewed 11/04/2011)

Yet, modern “Easter” practices are in the early morning, not in the evening, and do not have the practices that early Christians had. Nor did they observe Lent.

Notice what a respected Protestant scholar reported about the second century:

The most important in this festival was the passover day, the 14th of Nisan…In it they ate unleavened bread, probably like the Jews, eight days through…there is no trace of a yearly festival of the resurrection among them…the Christians of Asia Minor appealed in favor of their passover solemnity on the 14th Nisan to John (Gieseler, Johann Karl Ludwig. A Text-book of Church History. Translated by Samuel Davidson, John Winstanley Hull, Mary A. Robinson. Harper & brothers, 1857, Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized Feb 17, 2006, p. 166).

So, like the Apostle John (the last of the original apostles to die), the early faithful Christians observed Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. And they did this on the 14th after sunset.

The Christian Passover for 2022 is April 4th, after sunset which is when the 14th of Nisan begins. April 5th after sunset, which is when the 15th of Nisan begins, is called the Night to be Observed (watch also our animation: Night to Be Observed).

Holy Day Calendar Updated

We have had a calendar of the biblical holy days through 2026 for some time.

This past week we extended that to include dates through 2033.

Here is the portion related to Spring Holy Days:

Knowing when the Holy Days are coming does assist with planning–particular on matters of work, school, and travel.

For more dates, here is a link: Holy Day Calendar.

Items of related interest may include:

Keeping Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread How should Christians keep Passover, especially if they are by themselves. Why does the Church of God not require lambs for Passover? How does one keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? For a step-by-step video for Christians to keep it, check out a CCOG Passover Service. Here is a link to a related article in the Spanish language: Guardando la Pascua y los Días de los Panes sin Levadura.
Examine Yourself before Passover This article goes into some of why real Christians are to do this. Two related sermons are Really examine yourself before Passover and Passover Examination.
Preparing for Passover The Apostle Paul taught that Christians should examine themselves prior to taking Passover. This YouTube video sermon gives suggestions on how to prepare.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins? There is also a detailed YouTube video available titled History of the Christian Passover.
The Passover Plot What was the first Passover plot? Which plots have Islam and the Greco-Roman faiths perpetuated about Passover? A sermon video of related interest is The Passover Plots, Including Easter.
Melito’s Homily on the Passover This is one of the earliest Christian writings about the Passover. This also includes what Apollinaris wrote on the Passover as well. Here is a related sermon, also titled Melito’s Homily on the Passover.
TPM: Passover on the 14th or 15th? While the real COG observes Passover on the 14th, some observe it on the 15th. Why is the 14th correct? A related sermon is titled Is Passover on the 14th or 15th for Christians?
Unleavened Bread recipes A Serbian COG member, now CCOG elder, sent these recipes for those who would like more ways to prepare unleavened bread. Here is a link to recipes in Spanish: Recetas de Recuerdo.
The Night to Be Observed What is the night to be much observed? When is it? Why do Jews keep Passover twice and emphasize the wrong date? A related animation is available and is titled: Night to Be Observed.
Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? What is leaven? This article supplies some biblical answers. Here are two YouTube videos intended to be viewed for the first day of unleavened bread:Leaven and Sin and Christians and the Days of Unleavened Bread.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
What Happened in the ‘Crucifixion Week’? How long are three days and three nights? Was Palm Sunday on a Saturday? Did Jesus die on “Good Friday”? Was the resurrection on Sunday? Do you really know? Who determined the date of Easter? (Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Murió Jesús un día miércoles o un viernes?) A sermon of related interest is titled What did and did not happen in the ‘Crucifixion week’?
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays. A related sermon is Which Spring Days should Christians observe?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? Where did Easter come from? What do scholars and the Bible reveal? Here is a link to a video titled Why Easter?
Is Lent a Christian Holiday? When did it originate? What about Ash Wednesday? If you observe them, do you know why? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language by Dr. Hoeh: ¿Por Qué Se Observa la Cuaresma? Here is a link to a related sermon: Lent, Ash Wednesday, Carnaval, and Christianity?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from 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.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2033, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？ 这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.

COGwriter

A reader sent me a link to the following by Jared Dyson:

God is creating something beautiful in you

March 9, 2023 …

Each and every one of us is unique. We are all different, with different challenges, different circumstances, and different experiences in life. Yet, we all have one unique thing about us. We will never be the beautiful vessel that God wants us to be until we have been through the fire of life.

God has a design and purpose for each of us. It’s to be a vessel used by Him for His glory and honor. But we can never be that beautiful vessel until we have been put through the fire. Maybe you find yourself discouraged and downhearted from the trials you face. Don’t give up. Realize that God has you in the fire and is creating something beautiful in your life. https://anotherwell.org/2023/03/09/god-is-creating-something-beautiful-in-you/

That is true.

Before going into what God’s purpose for you actually is, let’s look at something from a secular source:

Does life have a purpose?

Nobody expects atoms and molecules to have purposes, so why do we still think of living things in this way?

There’s no sense for most scientists that a star is for anything, or that a molecule serves an end. But when we come to talk about living things, it seems very hard to shake off the idea that they have purposes and goals, which are served by the ways they have evolved.

As I have written about before in Aeon, the chemist James Lovelock got into very hot water with his fellow scientists when he wanted to talk about the Earth being an organism (the Gaia hypothesis) and its parts having purposes: that sea lagoons were for evaporating unneeded salt out of the ocean, for instance. And as Steven Poole wrote in his essay ‘Your point is?’ in Aeon earlier this year, the contemporary philosopher Thomas Nagel is also in hot water since he suggested in his book Mind and Cosmos (2012) that we need to use teleological understanding to explain the nature of life and its evolution.

Some have thought that this lingering teleological language is a sign that biology is not a real science at all, but just a collection of observations and facts. Others argue that the apparent purposefulness of nature leaves room for God. Immanuel Kant declared that you cannot do biology without thinking in terms of function, of final causes: ‘There will never be a Newton for a blade of grass,’ he claimed in Critique of Judgment (1790), meaning that living things are simply not determined by the laws of nature in the way that non-living things are, and we need the language of purpose in order to explain the organic world.

Why do we still talk about organisms and their features in this way? Is biology basically different from the other sciences because living things do have purposes and ends? Or has biology simply failed to get rid of some old-fashioned, unscientific thinking — thinking that even leaves the door ajar for those who want to sneak God back into science? https://aeon.co/essays/what-s-a-stegosaur-for-why-life-is-design-like?utm_source=pocket-newtab accessed 05/16/20

Yes, life has a purpose and there really is a God.

Before getting to that it should be pointed out that REAL scientists, those actually willing to believe the facts of biology, realize that evolution is NOT science.

Those who claim that evolution is the origin of life are not being logical as that is impossible.

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?

The fact is that evolution functions as a false religion that many cling to. Therefore, many who hold to it do not bother to look into the truth about why they are on this planet nor what their life really is supposed to be about.

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?

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.

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.

Here is some information about God’s plan for you from our free online booklet The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you?:

God’s plan takes into account what has happened to you. Notice Old Testament teachings related to that:

¹¹ The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. ¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. ¹³ The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. ¹⁴ From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; ¹⁵ He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. (Psalm 33:11-15)

¹ For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. (Ecclesiastes 9:1a)

⁹ A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

²⁴ A man’s steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way? (Proverbs 20:24)

⁷³ Your hands have made me and fashioned me; (Psalm 119:73)

¹⁷ … “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” (Ecclesiastes 3:17)

Notice, now, passages in the New Testament:

¹¹ But the one and the same Spirit is operating in all these things, dividing separately to each one as God Himself desires. … ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and you are all individual members. (1 Corinthians 12:11, 27, AFV)

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. (Galatians 6:7-8)

¹⁰ For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name … (Hebrews 6:10)

God has a plan for ALL! That includes YOU INDIVIDUALLY whether you are called in this age or not. And He considers ALL OF YOUR WORKS.

All that you have been through, all that you have suffered, all of which you accomplished, etc. is preparing YOU to make eternity better (unless you will ultimately refuse to support God’s Kingdom). Everything you have been through has been preparing you for the calling and work God has for you! YOU will be able to give in a unique way and help make eternity better!

The Bible mentions that just like the body has parts like hands and eyes and parts for smelling, hearing, and other things (1 Corinthians 12:12-26), we all have our unique part in the eternal plan God has. Yes, your role could be quite different from the other billions of humans—don’t think God does not have a real plan for YOU.

Furthermore, you are accountable for what you do (Romans 14:12). God will judge based on what you do (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Revelation 20:12) as well as what you fail to do (Matthew 25:24-30). The more you do what you should do, the more you will make eternity better for your own self and others. The more you do not do what you should not do, you will make eternity better for your own self and others. God is a righteous judge (2 Timothy 4:8).

The Bible teaches that we shall be rewarded according to our works (Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:6; Proverbs 24:12; Jeremiah 17:10; Revelation 22:12)! And we will be able to help more people because of that (cf. Luke 19:15-19). The Bible says that after death, our works follow us (cf. Revelation 14:13)—which basically means that what we learned and developed while physical will shape how we will be able to give and work throughout eternity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is working with all so that each of us can have our part in eternity! As scripture teaches:

¹⁷ The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. (Isaiah 32:17)

¹¹ You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

Peace and pleasures forevermore. A better eternity!

What is something YOU SHOULD DO?

¹¹ Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. ¹² Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?  ¹³ Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. ¹⁴ Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. (Psalm 34:11-14)

³ Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. ⁴ Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:3-4)

DO GOOD! TRUST GOD.

What does all this mean?

It means that God created what He did so His creation could do good.

Or more specifically, God created everything He did so that eternity would be better!

Isn’t that great?

³ … Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! (Revelation 15:3)

¹⁹ Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! (Psalm 31:19)

God’s goodness is great because of what He has prepared for us to come. …

God MADE humanity in order to give love (cf. 1 John 4:7-12) and so that there would be more love in the universe (cf. Matthew 22:37-39). That is the meaning of life.

What is the mystery of God’s plan? Why did God create anything?

God created what He did so eternity would be better (cf. Hebrews 6:9, 11:16; Philippians 1:23).

That is why He created the universe and that is why He created men and women. He specifically created the universe as a heritage/inheritance for Jesus and all humankind.

Humans who are granted eternal life will make eternity better.

God’s plan includes all who will heed His call in this age (see also the free online booklet Is God Calling You?), and others in the age to come (see also
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation ).

Christian or not, why did God make you?

Your purpose in this life is to build character so you can maximize your potential and increase how much better you can improve eternity.

God made YOU so that you will be able to use your unique talents (Matthew 25:14-23; Luke 19:11-19) to give love in order to make eternity better!

That is why God created what He did. That is why God made YOU.

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!

UPDATE 03/12/23: We just uploaded 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?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
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.

Jewish mosaic of the 5th century (Jim Haberman)

COGwriter

While most people seem to understand that many of the descendants of Judah are in the nation currently called Israel, various ones these days deny that. But those that deny it are wrong. They often seem to have an anti-Semitic and/or a racial agenda.

Here is a bodyguard for a US politician who is denying that:

Cori Bush’s Bodyguard Says He Can’t Be Anti-Semitic Because He’s a Jewish High Priest

March 9, 2023

Nathaniel Davis, who claims he’s 109 trillion years old and that Jews control the world,  … added another line to his résumé: his status as a Jewish “high priest.” …

Davis, who claims he is a 109 trillion-year-old spiritual guru named Aha Sen Piankhy, demanded the Free Beacon retract a report on his relationship with Bush and history of advancing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Davis, a former member of the vehemently anti-Semitic New Black Panther Party, said it’s impossible for him to be anti-Semitic because he himself is a member of the Tribe of Issachar, one of the lost tribes of Israel.

“That makes me Hebrew. How can I be anti-Semitic?” Davis asked the Free Beacon, adding “You’re literally dealing with the priesthood, literally.” …

Davis’s Facebook page is replete with other posts spreading conspiracies about the Rothschild family as a whole. In one post, he claimed the family “is the reason Armageddon will happen,” as part of “a business ploy for the one world government.”

He later accused former president Donald Trump of being a “puppet” in a Jan. 10, 2020, Facebook post linking to a YouTube video titled “Rothschild funded both sides of every war.”

Still, the St. Louis, Missouri, spiritual guru maintained that he can’t be anti-Semitic.

“If you could retract the whole anti-Semite, because I’m not, man. I’m not,” Davis said. “I got bar mitzvah’ed in this city. There’s no way I can be anti-Semite. No way. You didn’t complete your homework.” https://freebeacon.com/democrats/cori-bushs-bodyguard-says-he-cant-be-anti-semitic-because-hes-a-jewish-high-priest/

Well, literally, the high priest comes from the tribe of Levi, not Issachar.

Claiming Issachar is interesting as many in what could be called the Black Hebrew movement claim the Mexicans came from Issachar as the following shows:

Poster outlining the Black Hebrew Israelite identification of the Twelve Tribes of Israel with modern peoples of color
(Streetphotographernyctlv)

Note that they also claim that Puerto Rico is Ephraim, but Puerto Rico really is not a “multitude of nations” (Genesis 48:19b) as Ephraim was prophesied to be (which is why the United Kingdom best fits for Ephraim). Nor is Puerto Rico “greater” (Genesis 48:19c) than Cuba, which it would have to be if Cuba was Manasseh as the Black Hebrew Israelites assert (the USA best fits the prophecies for Manasseh–see also the free online book: Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?).

That said, there are Black Hebrew groups that assert Issachar was black and not Mexican–basically because some incorrectly claim that Jacob and Leah were Negros (e.g. Mexicans are NOT Hebrews, Issachar was BLACK. – YouTube).

‘Black Israelite’ groups (and some others) have falsely asserted that the ancient Jews were mainly black Africans. Some groups have falsely asserted that the majority in the nation of Israel are not Jews based on various misunderstandings of scripture and/or migration histories.

Specifically, many claim that the real Jews, those that they claim are from the Tribe of Judah are “American Negroes” (Amanfo A. Making History: The Sephardi Jewish Orphans of Sao-Tome and the African -American Appropriation of their Story the African -American Appropriation of their Story Dissertation, Florida International University, March 26, 2019)—and that other Jews are not really Jews—while some others claim they are mainly blacks in various parts of Africa. That is not the case from many reasons.

Yet, this does not mean that there are no black Israelites or black Jews. Because of a mixed multitude joining the Israelites when they left Egypt (Exodus 12:38), plus the fact that some Jews did move into parts of Africa and interbred, there are some black Jews. There are also some black Israelites from the other tribes for the same reason.

However, the majority of modern Israelites and Jews do not appear to be of the Negroid/African race nor were the original Israelites or Jews. The idea that Jews are black is also based on the wrong belief that Judah’s parents Jacob and Leah were Negros (e.g. Mexicans are NOT Hebrews, Issachar was BLACK. – YouTube)–but that was not the case.

As I have mentioned before, it can be clearly proven that the ancient Jews (descendants of Judah) were not black. Because some make that claim, I located some photos of 1st century A.D. coins–the century Jesus was executed in. After General Titus conquered Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Emperor Vespasian issued coins–the back side of which shows conquered Jews:

Titus on left, Jewish man on bottom right (CNG coins)

Vespasian on left, captured Jewish soldiers on right, 71 A.D. (CNG coins)

Notice the the Jews were not African (which is clear from the hair of the man on the first coin as well as the hair of the man to the left of the second coin). The second coin inscription in Latin Ivdea means Judea. These coins are clear evidence that the Jews of the first century–like Jesus–were not black Africans.

If most Jews of Jesus’ time were black, the coins would have been expected to portray that–but they do not. These are absolute proof.

Unless Nathaniel Davis has some Issachar heritage (and since most American blacks have some European ancestry it is possible), he is not of Issachar.

Issachar was the fifth son of Jacob’s wife Leah. Here is some information related to Issachar in my free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:

Issachar: Western Finland

Leah’s fifth son was named Issachar, basically meaning habitation (Genesis 30:17-18).

Jacob prophesied:

¹⁴ “Issachar is a strong donkey, Lying down between two burdens; ¹⁵ He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, And became a band of slaves. (Genesis 49:14-15)

Here are a couple of claims related to the identification of Issachar, the second of which is from 1957:

Finland has been identified … as … especially Issachar.[i]

Issachar … Jacob continues: “For he saw a resting-place that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and he BOWED HIS SHOULDER TO BEAR, and became a SERVANT UNDER “… (Gen. 49:14-15.) … Such is Finland. Finland is the ONLY nation that has voluntarily taken the full responsibility of her debts. She is today paying off a huge indemnity to Russia. Her land is pleasant and good, not extraordinarily rich. According to Deuteronomy 33:19 she derives wealth from fishing and from hidden treasures of the sand gigantic peat bogs and the finest sand for glass-making. Issachar is not a colonizing people they dwell pastorally “in tents,” said Moses.[ii]

Finland is located next to Russia.

Moses declared:

¹⁸  “Rejoice, … Issachar in your tents! ¹⁹ They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.” (Deuteronomy 33:18-19)

As far as rejoicing goes, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Finland is reliant on seaborne trade. It is among the world leaders in ship technology and ship operations, particularly for arctic and harsh environments. As far as treasures in the sand go, Finland is involved in seabed mineral extraction in the sand as well as the deep sea.

[i] Davidy. The Tribes, p. 217

[ii] Hoeh HL. LOCATION OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL Ambassador College, 1957

That said, even if Nathaniel Davis does have Issachar heritage, he is not the “Jewish High Priest” as he now seems to be claiming.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Were the Ancient Tribes of Israel Black? Was Jesus Black? Some claim this is so. But what do the Bible and ancient artifacts show? Here is a link to a related sermon video: Were Ancient Hebrews Black? What About Jesus?
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.
God’s Grace is For All Is being Jewish a hindrance to salvation? What about not being a descendant of Israel? What does the Bible really teach? Here is a link to a related sermon titled Race and Grace; Do you view race as God does? Watch also Mystery of Race.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
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, 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 by descended from Gad? Is it really prepared for what is prophecied? This article has clues.

Bust of Constantine (photo by Camille King)

COGwriter

The first Sunday law was enacted by Emperor Constantine in the early 4th century.

Constantine decreed circa March 7, 321:

Let all judges, the people of cities, and those employed in all trades, remain quiet on the Holy Day of Sunday. (Code of Justinian, Book III, Title XII, III. THE JUSTINIAN CODE FROM THE CORPUS JURIS CIVILIS. Translated from the original Latin by Samuel P. Scott. Central Trust Company, Cincinnati, 1932).

Shortly after the above decree, Eusebius recorded this about Constantine:

Accordingly he enjoined on all the subjects of the Roman empire to observe the Lord’s day, as a day of rest (Eusebius. Life of Constantine, Book IV, Chapter 18).

Notice that “the Lord’s day” became enjoined by a decree of a Roman Empire. Also notice the following:

There is a large body of civil legislation on the Sunday rest side by side with the ecclesiastical. It begins with an Edict of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, who forbade judges to sit and townspeople to work on Sunday (Slater T. Transcribed by Scott Anthony Hibbs. Sunday. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV Copyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton Company Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight).

Notice the following related to Constantine and Sunday written by one who observes Sunday:

So prominent had Christians and their day become that when the Emperor Constantine proclaimed Sun Day as the weekly holy day for all Romans, some Christians believed that it was for their sake. More likely Constantine, like many Roman aristocrats of the time, was simply trying to find common ground for his mixed pagan and Christian subjects, especially his soldiers. Unity was for the good of the state and the emperors’ power (Harline C. Sunday: A History of the First Day from Babylonia to the Super Bowl. Doubleday, NY, 2007, p. 17).

However, after a time, Constantine did clearly begin to provide more favor for the Roman version of ‘Christianity’ which (like the pagans, but unlike the Church of God) endorsed Sunday. He, the sun-worshiping emperor, then called for the famous Council of Nicea, which took place in 325 A.D. This council decided that Sunday was to be the day of worship and that Passover was to be observed on Sunday (and that eventually became what is known as Easter). After that council, those in the Church of God who kept the Sabbath were considered to be heretics and outcasts and had to flee in the wilderness.

The Emperor authorized persecution. Around 332, Constantine issued what is known as the Edict Against the Heretics,

Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to the heretics. “Understand now, by this present statute, ye Novatians, Valentinians, Marcionites, Paulians, ye who are called Cataphrygians, and all ye who devise and support heresies by means of your private assemblies, with what a tissue of falsehood and vanity, with what destructive and venomous errors, your doctrines are inseparably interwoven; so that through you the healthy soul is stricken with disease, and the living becomes the prey of everlasting death. Ye haters and enemies of truth and life, in league with destruction! All your counsels are opposed to the truth, but familiar with deeds of baseness; full of absurdities and fictions: and by these ye frame falsehoods, oppress the innocent, and withhold the light from them that believe. Ever trespassing under the mask of godliness, ye fill all things with defilement: ye pierce the pure and guileless conscience with deadly wounds, while ye withdraw, one may almost say, the very light of day from the eyes of men. But why should I particularize, when to speak of your criminality as it deserves demands more time and leisure than I can give? For so long and unmeasured is the catalogue of your offenses, so hateful and altogether atrocious are they, that a single day would not suffice to recount them all. And, indeed, it is well to turn one’s ears and eyes from such a subject, lest by a description of each particular evil, the pure sincerity and freshness of one’s own faith be impaired. Why then do I still bear with such abounding evil; especially since this protracted clemency is the cause that some who were sound are become tainted with this pestilent disease? Why not at once strike, as it were, at the root of so great a mischief by a public manifestation of displeasure?” (Chapter LXIV.—Constantine’s Edict against the Heretics. This document is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College).

Originally,

As with the Jewish Sabbath, the observance of the Christian Sunday began with sundown on Saturday and lasted till the same time on Sunday (Slater T. Transcribed by Scott Anthony Hibbs Sunday. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIV Copyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton Company Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight).

But this changed for most who observed Sunday, to a midnight to midnight observance.

A reader wrote the following:

March 7th – The anniversary of Constantine’s “venerable day of the sun” law

It was on this day that the Roman Emperor Constantine enacted his law which obliged all the citizens of the Roman Empire to keep the “venerable day of the sun” – SUNday! The fact that some 3rd century Christians kept Sunday, the first day of the week, gave this Roman emperor an idea to use such a custom to seal the unity within the empire between paganism and Christianity. He retained the old pagan term in his Sunday law – ‘Dies Solis “(in Latin “the day of the sun”) – which came into force on March 7, 321 AD.

Constantine’s Sunday law stipulated the following: “On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or for vine-planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost”.

Constantine’s ecclesiastical Council of Nicaea in 325 AD abolished the New Testament Passover instituted by Jesus Christ on the night in which He was arrested and later crucified. This is how Constantine describes his motives behind the Nicaen decisions: “it appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast (pagan Easter) we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin, and are, therefore, deservedly afflicted with blindness of soul. … Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Savior a different way”. (The faithful New Testament Christians did not receive any different way from our Savior, for He is the same yesterday, today and forever!)

Church historian Moshaim writes that Constantine’s 4th century superstitions gradually supplanted true piety. He attributes the shameful transformation of Christianity into paganism to a crazy drive of nominal Christians to blend pagan rites with Christianity. Thus, beginning from Constantine, a new religion emerged of which “neither Jesus nor Paul were the founding fathers”. “As a completely new religion in the Roman Empire, Christianity came as the result of later interpretations of the original traditions about Christ’s life, teachings, death and resurrection”. [1]

Constantine died before completing the Church of the Twelve in Constantinople, where he planned his tomb surrounded by the tombs of the apostles.  The first “Christian Emperor” dreamed to rest forever amidst the remains of the Twelve not like one of them, but as a symbol of their leader. [2]

1 Milan Vukomanovic, Early Christianity – from Jesus to Christ, Novi Sad: Svetovi, 1996, 19.

2 William Steuart McBirnie, The Search for the Twelve apostles, Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 2004, 18-19.

Here is a version of the above article in Serbian:

СРПСКИ

На данашњи дан, 7. марта 321. године римски цар Константин је донео закон о држању „часног дана сунца“ („Dies Solis”, SUNday) и тако успоставио јединство незнабожаца и хришћана препоручивши свима да држе тај дан. Текст закона гласи: „У часни дан сунца нека се становници градова одмарају и све трговине треба да су затворене. Само они који се баве земљорадњом могу слободно обављати своје уобичајене послове, јер се дешава да који други дан није повољан за сејање или обрађивање винограда; не искористивши погодно време, могли би нам пропасти драгоцени дарови које нам небо пружа”.

Протојереј Владимир Дакић у “Историји Старога завета за први разред средњих и грађанских и пети разред народних школа” (издање 1940. на основу одлуке Светога архијерејскога синода и мишљења главног просветног савета) пише: „А седмога дана Бог је престао да ствара. Тај дан је благословио и посветио. Он се зове субота, што значи одмор”.

Константинов црквени Сабор у Никеји 325. године забранио је новозаветну Пасху.  Разлог томе је, по наводима његовог биографа Јевсевија Цезарејског, Константинова мржња према Јеврејима и настојање да ништа у верској пракси не подсећа на њих.  Црквени историчар Мошајм тврди да су празноверице у 4. веку постепено истиснуле праву побожност.  Срамно преображење хришћанства у паганство приписује лудој жељи номиналних хришћана да имитирају паганске обреде. Тако је, почев од Константина, настала потпуно нова религија зато што „ни Исус ни Павле нису били „оснивачи“ тог “хришћанства”.

Константин је саградио данашњу ватиканску базилику „светог Петра“ на древном паганском гробљу на којем је сахрањен чаробњак Симон, стварни оснивач католичке цркве и први римски папа.  Смрт га је претекла да заврши своју намисао у Константинопољу: да му гроб буде у средини цркве.  „Први хришћански цар“ је маштао да почива за увек усред Дванаесторице не као један од њих, него као симбол њиховог вође.

Коришћени извори:

[1] Милан Вукомановић, “Рано хришћанство – од Исуса до Христа”, Нови Сад: Светови, 1996, 19.

[2] William Steuart McBirnie, “The Search for the Twelve apostles”, Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 2004, 18-19.

[3] Алигијеро Тонди, “Ватикан и неофашизам”, Сарајево: Свјетлост, 1957, 9.

[4] Јевсевије Поповић, “Опћа црквена историја, књига I. – (до 1054.)”, Сремски Карловци: Српска манастирска штампарија, 1912, 458.

The same person also supplied the following in Italian:

7 marzo – Anniversario della legge del “venerabile giorno del sole” di Costantino

Fu in questo giorno che l’imperatore romano Costantino promulgò la sua legge che obbligava tutti i cittadini dell’Impero Romano a osservare il “venerabile giorno del sole” – (“SUNday” in inglese)! Il fatto che alcuni cristiani del III secolo osservavano la domenica, il primo giorno della settimana, diede a questo imperatore romano l’idea di usare una tale usanza per sigillare l’unità all’interno dell’impero tra paganesimo e cristianesimo. Ha mantenuto il vecchio termine pagano nella sua legge domenicale – ‘Dies Solis “(in latino “il giorno del sole”) – che è entrato in vigore il 7 marzo, 321 dC.

La legge domenicale di Costantino stipulava quanto segue: “Nel venerabile giorno del Sole si riposino i magistrati e gli abitanti delle città, e si lascino chiusi tutti i negozi. Nelle campagne, però, la gente sia libera legalmente di continuare il proprio lavoro, perché spesso capita che non si possa rimandare la mietitura del grano o la semina delle vigne; sia così, per timore che negando il momento giusto per tali lavori, vada perduto il momento opportuno, stabilito dal cielo”.

Il Concilio ecclesiastico di Costantino di Nicea nel 325 dC ha abolito la Pasqua del Nuovo Testamento istituita da Gesù Cristo, la notte in cui Egli è stato arrestato e poi crocifisso. Così Costantino descrive le sue motivazioni dietro le decisioni nicene: “In primo luogo parve inopportuno celebrare quella santissima festività [la Pasqua pagana] seguendo la consuetudine dei Giudei: gli scellerati che contaminarono le proprie mani con un empio delitto e di conseguenza resero cieche le loro menti. … Pertanto, che nulla vi sia in comune tra voi e la folla detestabile dei Giudei. Abbiamo ricevuto un’altra strada dal Salvatore”. (I fedeli cristiani del Nuovo Testamento non ricevettero alcuna via diversa dal nostro Salvatore, perché Egli è lo stesso ieri, oggi e in eterno!)

Lo storico della Chiesa Mosheim scrive che le superstizioni costantiniane del IV secolo gradualmente soppiantarono la vera pietà. Egli attribuisce la vergognosa trasformazione del cristianesimo in paganesimo a una folle spinta dei cristiani nominali a fondere riti pagani con il cristianesimo. Così, a partire da Costantino, è emersa una nuova religione di cui «né Gesù né Paolo sono stati i padri fondatori». “Come religione completamente nuova nell’Impero Romano, il Cristianesimo venne come risultato di interpretazioni successive delle tradizioni originali sulla vita, gli insegnamenti, la morte e la risurrezione di Cristo”. [1]

Costantino morì prima di completare la Chiesa dei Dodici a Costantinopoli, dove progettò la sua tomba circondata dalle tombe dell’apostolo. Il primo “imperatore cristiano” sognava di riposare per sempre tra le spoglie dei Dodici non come uno di loro, ma come simbolo del loro capo. [2]

1 Milan Vukomanovic, Early Christianity – from Jesus to Christ, Novi Sad: Svetovi, 1996, 19.

2 William Steuart McBirnie, The Search for the Twelve apostles, Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 2004, 18-19.

The same person also provided the following in Portuguese:

7 de março – O aniversário da lei do “venerável dia do sol” de Constantino

Foi neste dia que o imperador romano Constantino promulgou sua lei que obrigava todos os cidadãos do Império Romano a guardar o “venerável dia do SOL” – DOMINGO! O fato de alguns cristãos do século III observaram o domingo, o primeiro dia da semana, deu a este imperador romano a ideia de usar tal costume para selar a unidade dentro do império entre o paganismo e o cristianismo. Ele manteve o antigo termo pagão em sua lei dominical – ‘Dies Solis “(em latim “o dia do sol”) – que entrou em vigor em 7 de março de 321 d.C.

A lei dominical de Constantino estipulava o seguinte: “No venerável Dia do Sol descansem os magistrados e as pessoas que residem nas cidades, e que todas as oficinas sejam fechadas. No campo, porém, as pessoas que se dedicam à agricultura podem livremente e legalmente continuar suas atividades; porque muitas vezes acontece que outro dia não é tão adequado para a semeadura de grãos ou para a plantação de videiras; para que, ao negligenciar o momento adequado para tais operações, a generosidade do céu se perca”.

O Concílio eclesiástico de Nicéia de Constantino em 325 d.C. aboliu a Páscoa do Novo Testamento instituída por Jesus Cristo na noite em que Ele foi preso e depois crucificado. É assim que Constantino descreve seus motivos por trás das decisões de Nicéia: “parecia uma coisa indigna que na celebração desta festa santíssima (Páscoa pagã) devêssemos seguir a prática dos judeus, que impiedosamente contaminaram suas mãos com enorme pecado, e são, portanto, merecidamente afligidos com cegueira de alma. … Não tenhamos nada em comum com a detestável multidão judaica; pois recebemos de nosso Salvador de uma maneira diferente”. (Os fiéis cristãos do Novo Testamento não receberam nenhuma maneira diferente de nosso Salvador, pois Ele é o mesmo ontem, hoje e sempre!)

O historiador da Igreja Moshaim escreve que as superstições do século IV de Constantino gradualmente suplantaram a verdadeira piedade. Ele atribui a vergonhosa transformação do cristianismo em paganismo a um louco impulso de cristãos nominais para misturar ritos pagãos com cristianismo. Assim, a partir de Constantino, surgiu uma nova religião da qual “nem Jesus nem Paulo foram os pais fundadores”. ensinamentos, morte e ressurreição”. [1]

Constantino morreu antes de completar a Igreja dos Doze em Constantinopla, onde planejou seu túmulo cercado pelos túmulos do apóstolo. O primeiro “Imperador Cristão” sonhou descansar para sempre entre os restos dos Doze não como um deles, mas como um símbolo de líder deles. [2]

1 Milan Vukomanovic, Early Christianity – from Jesus to Christ, Novi Sad: Svetovi, 1996, 19.

2 William Stewart McBirnie, The Search for the Twelve Apostles, Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 2004, 18-19.

The same one also sent the article in Romanian:

7 martie – Aniversarea legii „venerabilei zile a soarelui” promulgată de Constantin

Aceasta a fost ziua în care împăratul roman Constantin și-a promulgat legea care îi obliga pe toți cetățenii Imperiului Roman să păzească „venerabila zi a soarelui” – duminica (n.tr., în engleză SUNday = ziua SOARELUI)! Faptul că unii creștini din secolul al III-lea țineau duminica, prima zi a săptămânii, i-a dat acestui împărat roman ideea de a folosi un astfel de obicei pentru a pecetlui unitatea dintre păgânism și creștinism din interiorul imperiului. El a păstrat vechiul termen păgân în legea sa duminicală – „Dies Solis „(în latină „ziua soarelui”) – care a intrat în vigoare la 7 martie 321 d.Hr.

Legea duminicală a lui Constantin prevedea următoarele: „În venerabila Zi a Soarelui magistrații și oamenii care locuiesc în orașe să se odihnească și să fie închise toate atelierele. La țară, totuși, persoanele angajate în agricultură își pot continua liber și în mod legal activitățile; pentru că se întâmplă adesea ca o altă zi să nu fie atât de potrivită pentru semănatul cerealor sau plantarea viței de vie și ca nu cumva, neglijând momentul potrivit pentru astfel de activități, abundența cerului să se piardă”.

Sinodul bisericesc al lui Constantin de la Niceea din 325 d.Hr. a abolit Paștele Noului Testament instituit de Isus Hristos în noaptea în care El a fost arestat și mai târziu răstignit. Iată cum își descrie Constantin motivele din spatele hotărârilor de la Niceea: „s-a părut un lucru nevrednic ca, în sărbătorirea acestei preasfinte sărbători (Paștele păgân), să urmăm practica evreilor care cu impietate și-au pângărit mâinile cu un păcat enorm, și, prin urmare, sunt afectați în mod meritat de orbirea sufletului. … Să nu avem nimic în comun cu detestabila mulţime evreiască; căci noi am primit de la Mântuitorul nostru altfel”. (Creștinii credincioși din Noul Testament nu au primit nicio cale diferită de la Mântuitorul nostru, căci El este același ieri, astăzi și în vecii vecilor!)

Istoricul bisericesc Moshaim scrie că superstițiile lui Constantin din secolul al IV-lea au înlocuit treptat adevărata evlavie. El atribuie transformarea rușinoasă a creștinismului în păgânism unui impuls nebun al creștinilor nominali de a amesteca ritualurile păgâne cu creștinismul. Astfel, începând de la Constantin, a apărut o nouă religie ai cărei „părinți fondatori nu au fost nici Iisus, nici Pavel”. „Fiind religie complet nouă în Imperiul Roman, creștinismul a apărut ca rezultat al interpretărilor ulterioare ale tradițiilor originale despre viața învățăturile, moartea și învierea lui Hristos,” [1]

Constantin a murit înainte de a finaliza Biserica celor Doisprezece din Constantinopol, unde a plănuit ca mormântul să-i fie înconjurat de mormintele apostolilor. Primul „împărat creștin” visa astfel să se odihnească pentru totdeauna în mijlocul rămășițelor celor doisprezece nu ca unul dintre ei, ci ca un simbol al conducătorului lor. [2]1 Milan Vukomanovic, Creștinismul timpuriu – de la Isus la Hristos, Novi Sad: Svetovi, 1996, 19.2 William Steuart McBirnie, Căutarea celor doisprezece apostoli, Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 2004, 18-19.

To conclude in English, let me add that many Protestant groups seem to wish to support the agenda of Constantine when it comes to Sunday.

This is not biblical.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Sunday and Christianity Was Sunday observed by the apostolic and true post-apostolic Christians? Who clearly endorsed Sunday? What relevance is the first or the “eighth” day? A related sermon is also available: Sunday: First and Eighth Day?
CG7.ORG This is a website for those interested in the Sabbath and churches that observe the seventh day Sabbath.
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.
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.
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 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.
The Mark of Antichrist What is the mark of Antichrist? What have various ones claimed? Here is a link to a related sermon What is the ‘Mark of Antichrist’?
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.
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’.
SDA/CCOG Differences: Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 The genuine Church of God is NOT part of the Seventh-day Adventists. This article explains two prophetic differences, the trinity, differences in approaching doctrine, including Ellen White. Did Ellen White make prophetic errors? Did Ellen White make false prophecies? Here is a version in the Spanish language: SDA/COG Diferencias: La bestia de dos cuernos de Apocalipsis y 666. Here are two sermons in the English language: Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG? and CCOG and SDA differences and similarities. Here is a link to an article in the Spanish language: Diferencias: SDA/CCOG: La bestia de dos cuernos de Apocalipsis y 666.
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 History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

(Unsplash photo)

World Net Daily reported the following related to a report from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

Why do 30% of girls want to die?

By Patrice Lewis
Published March 3, 2023 at 7:22pmWhen I was a young woman (early ’80s), modern feminism was on the ascendency. …According to CDC data from 2021, almost 6 out of 10 girls felt persistently sad or hopeless, the highest numbers ever recorded. And it gets worse. Consider this tragic column by Auguste Meyrat: “Trained To Hate Their Sex And Selves, 1 In 3 Teen Girls Now Considers Suicide.” These statistics reflect an increase of 60% from just a decade ago.

“What’s especially troubling about this report is how it runs counter to today’s conventional wisdom,” notes Meyrat. “After all, our society allegedly celebrates women more than ever and offers abundant opportunities to girls. Furthermore, women are doing much better than men in some crucial areas, outnumbering them at colleges and in the workplace. Moreover, strong female protagonists abound in popular movies and television shows. Women have more representation in politics and sports. Schools continually push girls to achieve and break glass ceilings. No longer do girls live in a world where they’re expected to find a husband, have children, and submit to lifelong domestic drudgery. They can do anything.”

If this is true, then why do one-third of our girls want to kill themselves? And why do two-thirds feel persistently sad or hopeless?

Meyrat doesn’t pin the blame solely on toxic feminism; he also attacks social media and the transgender movement. Social media, he says, is dangerous for teen girls because of its addictiveness and promotion of unattainable ideals. The transgenderism movement, too, argues that sex is fluid and that changing one’s sex will make someone happier.

Ironically, according to a column by Alex Newman in The New American, “the federal government suggested that government schools could and should be the solution to the crisis they have caused. … In reality, the escalating godlessness, immorality, humanism and ever-more extreme ‘Comprehensive Sex Education’ being forced on children in indoctrination centers masquerading as ‘public schools’ are almost certainly the primary source of the problem. Adding more of the same is tantamount to throwing gasoline on this deadly dumpster fire.” (Side note: Reason No. 5,402,248 to homeschool.)

In all events, however, the underlying message to young girls is clear: No matter what, they’re not good enough. They’re not pretty enough, smart enough, popular enough, or witty enough.

Yes, being a girl is no longer good enough. Maybe if they chop off their lady parts and replace them with man parts, that will all change. …

This is the new generation of leftists: Those who hate themselves, and want to spread that hate to the next generation. Does this sound like a healthy attitude? Of course not. But these are the fruits of radical leftism in general and toxic feminism in particular: self-hate and suicide.  https://www.wnd.com/2023/03/30-girls-want-die/

Fox News also cited the CDC report:

A Center for Disease Control report … detailed an alarming 10-year increase in depression and thoughts of suicide among teenage girls.

Among the more shocking findings in the report:

• 57 percent of high school females reported feeling sadness or hopelessness in 2021, a 58 percent increase from 36 percent in 2011.
• 30 percent of females seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021, an almost 60 percent increase from 19 percent in 2011.
• 24 percent of females made a suicide plan in 2021, a 60 percent increase from 15 percent in 2011.

Mental health for teenagers across the board was bleak.

Overall in 2021, 42 percent of high school students reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, 22 percent said they seriously considered attempting suicide, 18 percent said they had made a plan to commit suicide and 10 percent said they attempted suicide, all increases from 10 years ago. …

In 2021, 45 percent of LGBQ+ students said they seriously considered attempting suicide while the number was 14 percent of boys.

In their executive summary, the CDC did not mince words about America’s youth mental health crisis.

“As we saw in the 10 years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health among students overall continues to worsen, with more than 40% of high school students feeling so sad or hopeless that they could not engage in their regular activities for at least two weeks during the previous year – a possible indication of the experience of depressive symptoms. We also saw significant increases in the percentage of youth who seriously considered suicide, made a suicide plan, and attempted suicide,” the CDC reported.  02/13/23 https://www.foxnews.com/media/cdc-reports-60-increases-high-school-girls-seriously-considering-planning-suicide-sadness

In many ways, American society, its government, academics, and clerics are failing males and females.

Plus, the perverted LGBTQ+ agenda being pushed is harmful and destructive (cf. Romans 1:18-32).

Yes, one major thing really that has impacted youth and society in the USA has been the rise of the LGBTQ agenda in the past ten years. Also consider the rise electronic social media, more acceptance of pornography–which in many ways degrades women, and the decreasing importance of religion to Americans (see ‘Three Decades Ago, America Lost Its Religion. Why?’ and/or watch Losing Religion (and HOW NOT TO!).

Many feel hopeless.

But there is hope.

Related to females the late Clint C. Zimmerman wrote an article that was in the  April 1972 edition of the old Tomorrow’s World magazine. Although some items may be a little dated, the general principles are still applicable today. It is freely provided here for educational purposes.

SEVERAL months ago my oldest daughter, Kamie, came home from a summer in Jerusalem. Bubbling, happy, vibrant, full of satisfying participation in an archaeological dig. She’d done new things, won new friends. Life had proved rewarding, worthwhile, exquisite. She was ready to move on and meet the challenge of her junior year in college. She was eager to live and learn and do!

Yesterday my youngest daughter, “Suzi,” came swishing — all in pink and brown — out of the Los Angeles International Airport customs room. Just home from her first college semester in England. Her eyes found us. Our smiles were enriched with tears. We hugged and kissed and talked and wondered about the baggage and tried to get closer. ..and it all was so very good.

My girls have been growing up.

My girls have a date with destiny.

My girls are beginning to exert normal, natural, powerful feminine influence.

Girl Power

All girls do! And it can be so very good. But I doubt that most girls perceive the wonder in that potential. They must come to understand it. Each of them is going to use that power — which turning into a woman gives to a girl — for better or for worse!

Girls grow up. Girlish thoughts are O.K. for girls. But have you taken a look at yourself lately? Are you still only a girl? Have you given any thought as to why boys are becoming interested in you? Why have you become more attracted to them? Why do some of them not seem to be monsters anymore? It’s because your mind and body are maturing, and there’s much more to life than just dolls, school and dresses. Life was meant to reward you. You were meant to give meaning to life. It’s time to be learning about it.

A girl needs to understand what she is. What she has. What she will become. What she can do.

Sugar ‘n spice ‘n everything nice… ‘n with the power potential of womanhood to change the future of the world.

Men Need Help

Woman came on the scene right after Adam. There was no doubt at all that the man needed help — and lots of it. There could be no future without woman. She provided a desperately needed sweet-sour, opposite-sameness for man. She was meant to complement him, stabilize him, stimulate him. Produce the future — something he could never do by himself. She had the inherent ability to make their lives happy, peaceful, content. To encourage, motivate, inspire. To give deep meaning to the word “love.” To make life completely successful.

Eve had the first opportunity. She and her husband could have conquered and ruled the world — given it happiness and peace everlasting. But she swallowed a lie, made her rash decision about what is right and wrong. Lined up her own experiment and blew it — but good. Perhaps she didn’t recognize what tremendous influence she held over Adam, nor how far-reaching the consequences. She turned it all on-and the roof caved in.

Remember Delilah? She got together with Samson, the dude who would make any modern surfer look sick. He was a real, lusty longhair. (He was to be a Nazarite from his mother’s womb — Judges 13:5.) He had roving eyes and he knew what he wanted. When the right chick came along, he was long gone. Brains, muscle, body — neat, tough and cool — but his whole life became loused up. He started himself down the chute, no doubt about that, but his woman, Delilah, was right in there using her femininity to “help” him all the way down and out. She turned on, and Samson really blew it.

Take Herodias and her daughter Salome for another example. Salome danced for the king so these two women could have what they wanted. Now when a dance stirs up a king so much that he offers half his kingdom and lops off a man’s head to show his appreciation, we can be sure he’d seen more than a ballroom waltz. She had found a way to dress, a way to move her body, a way to use her eyes, a way to use her difference to change lives, obtain decisions, get action. That’s power-live and real! It’s part of femininity and womanhood — but only part. It’s a shame, but some women never find much more than just that part.

Eve, Delilah, and Salome resorted to their natural, womanly talents to assure decisions to their liking. Very probably these three used sex as their prime motivator. This does not mean to say that every woman is a sex trap. But all of them do have the potential to become one. Every woman ought to make certain that sex is not her only stock in trade. There is far more to a woman than just sex.

Femininity entails a different mental approach and appraisal of situations. A different response and reaction. It’s a soft strength and pretty power which impacts man, society, and destiny. There is no suggestion here that you abandon your feminine influence. Not for the world! Its proper use can be a tremendous force for good. If you use it rightly, happiness will come flooding into your life. You will find reason for being, attained purpose, fulfillment — the things which you really want down deep — the best life has to offer. But to be successful requires preparation and work.

Get Smart

Simply everybody (except for a few dropouts and knuckleheads) realizes that intelligence must be used and an education pursued. Even if it’s only a matter of money, food and clothes. A recent report shows that — on the average — people with less than seven years of school make about $3,000 per year. People with a college degree make some $17,000 per year — the simple but cruel facts of being alive {editor’s note: while the figures have gone up, there is still a massive difference between the earnings of those who graduated college/university compared to those that have not finished high school}.

Even those women who seek “liberation” realize they must be prepared (educated) if their movement is to succeed. Ability to do a job depends upon preparedness.

Face the Facts of Life

Whether or not you like it, you are responsible for you. Face up to it. A girl is known — and judged — by what she does. Those who look for the right and true answers early are going to be better off. It’s best to start building for the future as soon as possible.

The world needs reshaping. Everybody knows that. Most of the sincere hippies and Jesus People have become what they are because they see the crying need for improvement materialistically, mentally, and spiritually. But the very way in which they live — the product that their lives present — screams that they have not found the way to get that reshaping done. Christ Himself says we can know how it will be done. There is a way, even if we can’t put it all together today.

Reshaping the world is going to require women — real women! Not just girls — WOMEN! And not just women — but virtuous, industrious, thinking, educated, truth-oriented, giving, loving women. Women who have courage, intelligence, culture, and leadership.

Perhaps it will come as a shock — but God wants women to be strong, smart, properly aggressive leaders. Their contribution toward a successful World Tomorrow is sorely needed. A woman is expected to have a positive, commanding role in the instruction of her children. Her action is to be so vital and far-reaching that she will command the respect of her children. That is no small commission. Look at the success, or failure, of your own mother and realize just how much wisdom, strength, integrity, and love are required. There is a challenge of gigantic size.

Teach Children

A woman and her husband are to labor side by side in the rearing of their children. God is concerned for more than sons. He will have daughters too (2 Cor. 6:18). A mother must insert powerful influence into the rearing of her children (Prov. 6:20). The mother of your husband-to-be should warn him about sex pots. You would expect her to — yes, you would want her to — tell him something like this:

“Listen to me, my son! I know what I am saying; listen! Watch yourself, lest you be indiscreet and betray some vital information. For the lips of a prostitute are as sweet as honey, and smooth flattery is her stock in trade. But afterwards only a bitter conscience is left to you, sharp as a double-edged sword. She leads you down to death and hell. For she does not know the path of life. She staggers down a crooked trail, and doesn’t even realize where it leads. Young men, listen to me, and never forget what I’m about to say: Run from her! Don’t go near her house, lest you fall to her temptation and lose your honor, and give the remainder of your life to the cruel and merciless; Lest strangers obtain your wealth, and you become a slave of foreigners. Lest afterwards you groan in anguish and in shame, when syphilis consumes your body, and you say, ‘Oh, if only I had listened! If only I had not demanded my own way! Oh, why wouldn’t I take advice? Why was I so stupid? For now I must face public disgrace'” (Prov. 5:1-14, The Living Bible).

If your parents-in-law-to-be would so instruct your boyfriend, if he would believe them and avoid the obvious pitfall, both of you would stand a much better chance of staying healthy. You wouldn’t need to be concerned that your own child — to be born in the distant future — might be blind or mentally deficient because of gonorrhea or syphilis.

And that is what you, too — a girl today, but woman and mother tomorrow — should eventually teach your own child!

What and how you teach your child will depend upon what you know — and the emphasis you place on the facts — the culture — the religious way in which you use them.

Education, Culture and Character

Do you realize that today — right now — you are creating the minds and character of yet un-conceived children you will bear years from now? Your interest in learning today will be mirrored in your children. The better the job of educating yourself you do today, the better off will be your children. Your personal character and culture will unfold to the degree your education enlightens, refines and disciplines your appreciation of intellect, beauty and morality. The more cultured you are, the greater head-start your children will have. Your children are slated to become what you ARE! A girl who will have children must prepare for womanhood and motherhood. You must learn, grow, change, attain, because the future of your children — and society — depends on what you do from here on.

Look at life. Question it. Know! If you truly search for the answer, you will not be able to escape the conclusion that you must become educated. This doesn’t mean you need necessarily go to college, but you must know what you are about — how to live, and how to make a living. But the full expression of true womanhood demands more of you than mere book education. Your education should provide the foundation for proper culture. The best culture is arrived at when a woman expresses genuine, outgoing concern — true love — for others. You should use your body, mind, and life to clearly fill the needs of your husband and children, your parents and society. To accomplish that naturally and conclusively demands morality — religious participation.

Knowing how to cook, sew and clean are mighty important parts of being a woman. You ought to be able to make wise and encompassing business decisions, too. Practical foresight into the everyday, routine problems of living is indispensable. You must be industrious, persevering, healthy, strong, vigorous if you are going to make the most of your life — in or out of marriage.

A competent woman will be able to take charge of her own and her children’s problems, handle them deftly, thoroughly, give sure guidance out of her deep understanding of the facts of life, run her home and life with vision and certainty, love her husband and children in fairness and so satisfy the deep needs of all her family.

There is much to learn — seemingly more to do — if life is going to become the highly satisfying experience which it is meant to be.

But if you do well all those things mentioned above, it will only be for the reason that you have found some more wonderful reasons for doing them than just to satisfy your physical needs. There is fathomless reward, as many women have found down through the ages, in such “mundane” accomplishment. But you can find even more delectable and luxurious sufficiency if you know and apply all these actions in relationship to the reason for your having been created feminine in the first place.

Love God the Most

Do you want to be more wanted than the most precious and valuable jewels? Do you wish for respect, honor, esteem, adoration in their most gratifying fulfillment? Then get started right now! There is far more to womanly success than merely satisfying physical needs. A real woman’s mind will reach into the meaning of life itself and she will find God. She will come to understand what is truly transcendently important. Remember, Jesus told Martha that she was so wrapped up in her housework and dinner preparations that she was missing the reason for doing them in the first place (Luke 10:40-42).

A woman should strive for full womanhood because she has found the relevance of her femininity to God’s plan and purpose. She is meant to be a part of His family.

Whatever other woman you may admire and would emulate simply cannot be as thoroughly acceptable to God as the woman who practices His religion. The woman who reverences and worships God will accrue the virtue, capability, intelligence, grace, nobility, culture and strength of character to be completely acceptable to God in every relationship.

You Can Do It

When rightly attuned to the overall purpose, any woman in private life can surpass the excellence attained by the most noted women of history. All you need do is use the mysterious power and key which God provides. You need only totally respect and reverence God, and then the Holy Spirit will impower you and make come true the impossible dream your womanhood harbors.

I know hundreds of young women whose dreams have become reality — hundreds of others who are moving swiftly and certainly into that same realness. Our own daughters are on the way. You, too, can keep your date with a beautiful destiny. Use your womanhood to arrive.

Girls have massive potential.

Females have no less potential than males.

And since Jesus said many of the last shall be first and the first last (Matthew 19:30), males may be surprised after the resurrection to see a lot people who were born female ruling.

Related to destiny, we have a free book, online at ccog.org titled: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You?

Related to dating, we have a free book, online at ccog.org titled: Dating: A Key to Success in Marriage, a practical dating guide for Christians.

Some other items of possibly related interest may include the following:

Women and the New Testament Church What roles did women play in the ministry of Jesus and the apostles? Did Jesus and the Apostle Paul violate Jewish traditions regarding their dealings with women? Do women have any biblical limitations on their role in the Church? Were there female prophets? Do women have any special responsibilities in terms of how they dress? What does the New Testament really teach about women? Here are links to two related sermons: Women’s Roles in the Church and New Testament Women.
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?
Here’s the Plain Truth About OLD TESTAMENT POLYGAMY by Herbert Armstrong. Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Es la poligamia una senda de Dios?
Husbands Love Your Wives An article written by the late Selmer Hegvold.
Five Rules for Effective Parenting Do you know that there are five simple rules that can make you a more effective parent? Here is a link to a version in Mandarin Chinese N”ga{€SUg eHv„[PYsQ{€²‰ÄR. There is also a 12 1/2 minute English language YouTube video on this, also titled Five Rules for Effective Parenting.
What Psychologists do not Know About Child Rearing This is an article by Herbert Armstrong that was used as the introduction to the pdf booklet The Plain Truth About Child Rearing.
The Plain Truth About Child Rearing This is a pdf booklet that the old WCG put out. Also watch, Teach Children Self-Discipline, Self-Control.
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? A short video is available titled: Gay Gene? Born That Way?
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?

Artist depiction of the Apostle Paul writing his epistles

COGwriter

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

Obese females (Pixabay)

COGwriter

Despite food price inflation and food shortages, obesity is increasing in many places:

More Than Half the World Will Be Overweight or Obese by 2035

March 2, 2023

More than half of the world’s population will be overweight or obese by 2035 without significant action, according to a new report.

The World Obesity Federation’s 2023 atlas predicts that 51% of the world, or more than 4 billion people, will be obese or overweight within the next 12 years.

Rates of obesity are rising particularly quickly among children and in lower income countries, the report found.

Describing the data as a “clear warning,” Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation, said that policymakers needed to act now to prevent the situation worsening.

“It is particularly worrying to see obesity rates rising fastest among children and adolescents,” she said in a statement.

“Governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social and economic costs on to the younger generation.”

The report found that childhood obesity could more than double from 2020 levels, to 208 million boys and 175 million girls by 2035.

The cost to society is significant as a result of the health conditions linked to being overweight, the federation said: more than $4 trillion annually by 2035, or 3% of global GDP. https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/obesity-overweight-childhood/2023/03/02/id/1110747/

While I do NOT now believe that most of the world will be highly overweight in 2035, as “this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4) may be over by then (see also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?), we certainly are seeing more and more overweight people.

Having more highly overweight people is consistent, however, with the following prophecy for the last days:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!  (2 Timothy 3:1-6)

Lack of self-control, while not the only factor, is a factor in obesity.

ZeroHedge reported the following related to approving of obesity;

August 8, 2022

Talk show host and comedian Bill Maher railed against the pro-obesity ‘body positivity’ movement, saying that not only is it pathetic, it’s a national security risk.

“There is a disturbing trend going on in America these days,” Maher began, adding that people are “rewriting science to fit ideology to just fit what you want reality to be.”

“We’ve gone from fat acceptance to fat celebration. That’s new. That is new,” Maher said. “To view letting yourself go as a point of pride? We used to at least try and be fit and healthy and society praised those who succeeded”

“Now the term body positivity is used to mean, ‘I’m perfect the way I am because I’m me,’” the HBO host continued, adding “It’s Orwellian how often positivity is used to describe what’s not healthy!”

“Of course, you can get away with anything bad for you when you’re young,” then said, adding “Let me ask you this: Have you ever seen a fat 90-year-old?”

Maher then noted that the military is having a harder time finding in-shape recruits, as well as how obese people have fared worse during COVID-19.

“At some point acceptance becomes enabling, and if you’re in any way participating in this joyful celebration of gluttony that goes on now, you have blood on your hands,” he said, adding “You can make believe you’re fighting some great social justice battle for a besieged minority, but what you’re really doing is enabling addicts – which I thought we decided was bad.” https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/bill-maher-slams-fat-celebration-and-body-positivity

While I have seen many people in their 90s, no, I never recall seeing any who were fat (though there probably are some). But ‘wokeness’ wants people to say bad is good. The Bible warns:

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

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

That said, yes, the USA military is having trouble getting enough recruits because of obesity and other factors (see US Army pushes wokeness, cannot get enough acceptable recruits, cuts size, and punishes anti-vaccine troops)–and weight and health are factors. For several years it has been understood that obesity is affecting the military readiness of the USA (see ‘Widespread Obesity Makes Trump’s Military Recruitment Goals a Challenge’).

Notice also the following related to obesity:

The Societal Cost of Obesity

According to researchers at Ball State University in Indiana, obesity is on the rise. Estimates based on their early research show that by 2030, in the absence of any intervening actions, a third of all children between the ages of six and eleven will be considered obese or overweight.

No doubt that is a shocking statistic. …

To measure whether or not you are overweight or obese, you must account for your Body Mass Index or BMI.

For adults, BMI consists of a person’s weight divided by their height squared. …

For children, BMI is calculated using the same formula but is interpreted using the child’s age and sex. Those results are then measured amongst a percentile. This method accounts for the difference in adolescent development for those between the ages of 2 and 19.

Health risks can occur in any individual, no matter their lifestyle or level of fitness. But for those who are obese, there is a far more heightened risk of experiencing serious health conditions. The list of potential health problems and complications is extensive and includes:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure (Hypertension)
• Risk for stroke
• Sleep apnea
• Difficulty breathing
• Coronary heart disease
• Problems regulating healthy cholesterol levels (high LDL, low HDL, high levels of triglycerides
• Certain types of cancers including breast, colon, endometrial, gallbladder, kidney, liver, ovarian, or pancreatic
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis (deterioration of bone and cartilage in joints)
• Greater risk for mental illness including anxiety, clinical depression, and other psychiatric disorders
• Reduced quality of life (excessive pain, limited mobility, problems performing everyday tasks, such as standing, walking, or using the restroom)

In practically all instances, obesity also enhances the risk of premature death. …

Based on several estimates, the US has spent anywhere from $150 billion to upwards of $190 billion each year on obesity-related costs. Some put that range even higher. This includes diagnosis and treatment, as well as prevention-related costs.

By 2030 – a little over a decade away – those numbers could increase by as much as $66 billion a year.

Those figures, though, only take into account direct costs. They do not account for lost work (either in lost employee wages or lost employer productivity), insurance costs, or lower overall wages. According to some of the most prevalent reports, these secondary financial consequences are an even larger burden that the direct medical costs of obesity.

At its most extreme, obesity may prove to be one of humankind’s worst maladies. https://www.mbahealthcaremanagement.org/topics/the-societal-cost-of-obesity/ accessed 08/24/19

The USA is already massively in debt and future increases in health care costs and decreased productivity can be part of ‘the straw that will break the camel’s back’ metaphorically.

Let’s talk about health.

The Bible opposes obesity.

Here is what Moses and Jeremiah were inspired to write about obesity thousands of years ago:

15 You grew fat, you grew thick,
You are obese!
Then he forsook God who made him,
And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods;
With abominations they provoked Him to anger. (Deuteronomy 32:15-16)

11 “Because you were glad, because you rejoiced,
You destroyers of My heritage,
Because you have grown fat like a heifer threshing grain,
And you bellow like bulls,
12 Your mother shall be deeply ashamed;
She who bore you shall be ashamed.
Behold, the least of the nations shall be a wilderness,
A dry land and a desert. (Jeremiah 50:11-12)

The idea that one should not be obese is not a new one.

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

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

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).

Do not overeat. Eat what is good.

Most in Westernized areas consume too much overly-processed convenience foods, synthetic nutrients, chemical additives, and refined grains.

People should try to eat real, not artificial, foods. Soda consumption should be almost non-existent, essentially a very rare treat.

And while they do not like to believe this, almost all obese people also need to eat less.

Eight years ag0, the Continuing Church of God put out a video about concerns about eating to much on our YouTube channel called Bible New Prophecy.

Here is a link to our video: Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.

That said, losing weight can be very, very difficult. But real Christians should believe the following:

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

With prayer and proper determination, breaking away from being obese can happen.

The Bible teaches:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

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

Do not let fear stop you from moving ahead.

Take proper action (cf. Galatians 6:9-10; Revelation 3:7-13; Zephaniah 2:1-3).

Interested in a spiritual ‘five second’ rule?

Tell yourself and pray:

I will act on the truth and not put it off because I do not feel like it. Jesus help me.

Most people can quietly pray that in 5 or so seconds.

And physically if it will help, you can count backwards from five or use some other technique to motivate you to do what is right–including with your diet. But then pray for God’s assistance.

We also have a related video:

16:02

‘How to Change Your Life in 5 Seconds’

Inc. magazine posted an article online titled ‘How to Change Your Life in 5 Seconds.’ In it, Mel Robbins explains how she developed a technique to be more productive. She observed that 95% of decisions are based on emotion instead of logic, and how and why adding a five-second countdown helped her life. She mentions that fear, anger, and other factors often interfere with our ability to be better people. In this video, Dr. Thiel quotes a lot from that article, including some of the science behind the technique. He also quotes Jesus as well as many passages from the Bible. He also teaches a 5 second statement to say and pray to use as a five second spiritual statement to help Christians change.

Here is a link to the video: ‘How to Change Your Life in 5 Seconds’.

Of course, some things take longer than 5 seconds. But asking Jesus to help you not overeat is something everyone can do.

While it may not help your weight much, exercising is good for you and your innate immune system. Related to exercise, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

17:27

The Plain Truth About Exercise

A 2019 report shows that Americans are becoming sedentary. Since it is a physical thing, should Christians be concerned about exercise? Could not exercising possibly be a sin? What did the ‘Plain Truth’ magazine report about exercise? What is the US CDC reporting about exercise? Can exercise help prevent diabetes, heart disease, and obesity? Can exercise help sleep, endurance, and aging? Are there scriptures about exercise and health? What about laziness? What are some of the risks and benefits of exercise? Dr. Thiel addresses these subjects and more.

Here is a link to our video: The Plain Truth About Exercise.

That being said, the US is prophesied to lose militarily in the relatively near future (cf. Daniel 11:39).

It could be that health issues, including obesity, will end up being partial factors for the defeat.

Now, related to food, we put out the following video:

Related to Christian health, we put out the following video:

While it is highly tempting to overeat, we do want to watch that.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to two related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food and Let’s Talk About Health.
Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods? A related video would be Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.
Should Christians Exercise? What does the Bible teach? What are some of the benefits and risks of exercise? Here is a link to a related video: The Plain Truth About Exercise.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats; a short video is also available: Did Jesus declare all animal flesh food?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2031 or ? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Might the U.S.A. Be Gone by 2028? Could the USA be gone by the end of 2028 or earlier? There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. Here is a link to a related video: Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? In Spanish: Seran los Estados Unidos Destruidos en el 2028?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

(Pixabay image)

COGwriter

God’s plan involves love. Notice what Jesus said:

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

Now that we see some of God’s attributes, such as He is good, is a planner, and is love: this should help us better understand Him and His basic motivations as to why He made anything.

You are important. You matter! God loves YOU personally. And does have a plan for you personally.

Do not think that your tests and trials happen because God does not love you:

11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights. (Proverbs 3:11-12)

5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5-11)

Yes, sometimes we have to long endure various matters to better develop love. The Apostle Peter wrote:

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8)

Patience is a sign of love (1 Corinthians 13:4, BLB). While you may be enduring many trials, consider:

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. … 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; 9 … those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. (Psalm 37:4,7,9)

Yes, there is a reward for patient love.

And that should also be considered not just towards God, but of others.

It is not just God who you are to love. Notice some of what Mark recorded:

28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

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

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

34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:28-34)

How do you love your neighbor? The old Worldwide Church of God published the following:

The godly perspective is that we must want the best for our neighbor as well as for ourselves. The best for our neighbor is that he or she also become a member of the Family of God.

With this perspective, we are going to be determined not to hurt or harm our neighbor. We will not be in competition with him or her. Jesus Christ, who gave God’s commandments to physical Israel, magnified these spiritual laws in the New Testament.

Take, for example, the Sixth Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” (Ex. 20:13), and think of how it applies to loving your neighbor. As magnified by Christ, the commandment to not kill means that we must not hate, detest or compete with our neighbor (Matt. 5:21-24). It means that we should express love toward our neighbor in every way in everything we do. We must always keep in mind our neighbor’s potential in God’s plan. The Ten Commandments continue, “Thou shall not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14). Spiritually neither are we to even lust after our neighbor (Matt. 5:27-28). Consider: Can we break God’s commandment concerning adultery with our neighbor, when God is preparing that neighbor, just like us, for His Family? The other commandments follow (Ex. 20:15-17).

All of these commandments, magnified by Christ Himself, reveal how we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Keeping the commandments hinges on remembering that membership in the God Family is intended for every human being. And every human being is our neighbor.

Our neighbor’s needs

Our neighbor has the same desires and needs that we have. Do we get hungry? So does our neighbor.

How many people do you know who cannot provide essential food for their families? The distress may be caused by unemployment, sickness or some other problem.

If we have food, we must learn to share with those in need. This is loving our neighbor. The same applies to other basic needs such as shelter and clothing. We must learn to share the blessings God gives us. What are other ways in which we can manifest true Christian love toward our neighbor?

Are you ever aware of someone in pain or agony? Do you know someone who is suffering from a sickness or disease? Do you know anyone who has suffered an injury in an accident? Their physical needs may already be taken care of. But what about their spiritual needs? God expects us to care, to give comfort and solace.

When we comfort others we express God’s love.

We all need the love of others expressed to us, and we must express that same love toward others. When our neighbor is honored by being appointed to some office or rewarded for some accomplishment, we are to be honored as well (I Cor. 12:26).

What a contrast to the comment by the executive referred to earlier, who stated that his neighbors are competitors who want him to fail. Trials and tests are common in all our lives. We have trials, and so does our neighbor. While Christ was undergoing the trial of His life, He was praying for Peter, a key disciple whom Satan wanted to destroy. And yet Christ Himself was about to be sacrificed. What a selfless love!

Christ instructed Peter, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31-32). This is the type of love we must manifest toward our neighbor. The same as loving God God actually puts Himself in the place of our neighbor. Whatever we do to our neighbor, we are actually doing to God (Matt. 25:31-46).

Do we always consider, as we deal with another human being, that we are doing to God whatever we do to that person? This knowledge should have powerful impact when we consider our relationship with our neighbor! In addition, God says: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also” (I John 4:20-21).

Our neighbors — each and everyone of them — are made in God’s likeness and are to become God (Ps. 82:6).

Do we begin to see the importance God places on relationships between human beings made in His likeness? Every human being is a potential member of the God Family, and we must not do anything to deter our neighbor from fulfilling God’s purpose in his life. This must be the underlying premise upon which we base our every thought and deed toward our neighbor. Christ taught, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31).

The apostle John wrote, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (I John 3:14). If we can do this, we are perceiving our neighbor from God’s point of view. This, then, is loving our neighbor as ourself. (LaRavia EE. ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ – Just What Does That Mean? Good News, July 1982)

The Apostle Paul wrote:

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. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

4 Love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious, it is not boastful, it is not puffed up. 5 It does not act unbecomingly, it does not seek the things of its own, it is not easily provoked, it keeps no account of wrongs. 6 It does not delight at unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails …

13 But now these three things abide: faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13, Berean Literal Bible)

The Apostle John wrote:

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 John 4:7-21)

The importance of love is confirmed by many in the New Testament. Notice the following statement from the Apostle Paul:

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Love is the greatest attribute.

To assist you in developing love, the Continuing Church of God put together the following sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:19:57

You Can Develop Love

The Bible says God is love. The Bible says the Father sent Jesus to die because of love. If God’s plan is all about love, how can you develop it? Is God’s character one of love? What about the tests and trials we go through–are they proof that God does or does not love us? What about loving God? What about loving your neighbor? Does loving one’s neighbor involve both the physical and the spiritual? Does God love everyone enough to offer salvation to all, either in this age or the age to come? What are some of the connections between the Ten Commandments and love? Did Herbert W. Armstrong’s book, The Mystery of the Ages, teach about character and love? Were actual Church of God Christians expected to have their love grow cold in the end times? Will your love wax cold? Was Philadelphia to continue? What does Laodicea mean? What is the love chapter? What about lack of natural affection? How can you develop more love, more compassion? Do prayer, Bible study, and meditation help? Did a disciple with little compassion change and teach a lot about love? Did the Apostle John’s disciple, Polycarp of Smyrna, teach about love? Do you want to know how can you have true love? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Here is a link to the sermon: You Can Develop Love.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

God’s Plan: It’s All About Love God is love and true Christianity is founded on love: love of God and others. Here is a link to a related sermon: You Can Develop Love.
The Philadelphia Remnant: It’s All About Love This is what CCOG teaches. It is important to remember. A related video is available: Nairobi Conference: All About Love.
What is Sin? How Can You Sin Less? What is sin? What about lawlessness Are their sins of omission? What about confession and penance? A related sermon is also available: Let’s Talk About Sin: What is It? Should You Hate Sin?
Do Christians Sin? This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Overcoming Sin What is sin? How are Christians suppose to overcome it? Here is a link to a version in Mandarin Chinese: QKg f/‘͉v„. Here is a link to a version in Spanish: Vencer al pecado. Here is also a link to a video in English titled How YOU Can Overcome Sin.
Overcome Sin’s Deadly Power! How can you overcome the power of sin? Here is a link to a related sermonette video: YOU Can Overcome Sin’s Deadly Power!
How to Prevent Sin This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong. Here is a version in Mandarin: Y‚OUN r¯j
The Two Trees: Only Two Ways of Life This is from a two-part radio broadcast from Herbert W. Armstrong. Here is a video on: Cause and Effect: Two Trees, Two Ways.
Real Conversion Many think that they are converted Christians. But are they? Would you like to know more about conversion?
False Conversion! Have you really been converted? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote an article on this important subject–but more scriptures have been added to it. How can you tell false conversion? A related video is also available: False Conversion. A Spanish language version is also available: Falsa Conversión.
What is the Unpardonable Sin? What is it? Can you repent of it? Do you know what it is and how to avoid it? Here is a link to a related sermon: The Unpardonable Sin and the Prodigal Son.
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is also available titled: Real Christian Repentance.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
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.
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.
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’.
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?
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.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how they develop love, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
The 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.

COGwriter

Chuck Norris wrote the following:

February 27, 2023

Chapman University’s Survey of Fear (CUSF) is “an ongoing project, now in its ninth year. Conducted annually, it follows trends over time and identifies new fears as they emerge. The survey is a nationally representative sample that gives us insight into what terrifies America.”

Unfortunately, it turns out that the majority of Americans suffer from tremendous fear. Many – perhaps as high as 85% of the population – live with a sense of impending doom. This is a classic sign of clinical anxiety.

So, here are the Top 10 Fears of America (2022):

1. Corrupt government officials – 62.1
2. People I love becoming seriously ill – 60.2
3. Russia using nuclear weapons – 59.6
4. People I love dying – 58.1
5. The U.S. involved in another world war – 56.0
6. Pollution of drinking water – 54.5
7. Not having enough money for the future – 53.7
8. Economic/financial collapse – 53.7
9. Pollution of oceans, rivers, and lakes – 52.5
10. Biological warfare – 51.5

A general overview of the present CUSF report shows us that Americans’ fears center on five main topics: corrupt government officials (No. 1), harm to a loved one (Nos. 2 & 4), war (Nos. 3, 5 & 10), environmental concerns (Nos. 6 & 9), and economic concerns (Nos. 7 & 8). …

John Hopkins University: Hospital for Children … recommend the following to overcome fears and phobias:

People can learn to overcome phobias by gradually facing their fears. This is not easy at first. It takes willingness and bravery.  …

Often, the hardest part of overcoming a phobia is getting started. Once a person decides to go for it – and gets the right coaching and support – it can be surprising how quickly fear can melt away.

Speaking of melting away, there’s a little verse in the Bible that reads: “Perfect (or mature) love casts out all fear.”

It is interesting that US Americans fear government corruption more than anything else–and if you compare this list to the 2015 list shown at the beginning of this post, you will see that the percentage fearing government corruption has increased. That is no surprise because of what has been going on in the USA over the past several years.

Consider that through the Prophet Nathan, God gave King David of Israel three choices for punishment. Notice the choices, what David chose, and why he choose them:

7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel. 8 So David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

9 Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, 10 “Go and tell David, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.”‘”

11 So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Choose for yourself, 12 either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord — the plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”

13 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”  (1 Chronicles 21:7-13)

People are not as merciful as God is–and David knew that.

Jesus warned that a time was coming when

 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4)

This will be because of corruption in government.  The Bible further warns that a famine of the word is coming and government corruption will likely be a factor in that. For years I have been writing that I believe that steps that the governments of the USA and UK have taken could help lead to the coming ‘famine of the word’ and/or directly cause it.  Notice something I put in the article Who is the King of the North? back in 2011:

The Bible warns:

12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.  (Amos 8:12, KJV)

The above will apparently happen after Daniel 11:33 is fulfilled, but portions may begin as early as Daniel 11:28. With FCC “net neutrality” rules (they were approved to start to use in late 2010), we are getting close to that time when governments will be too offended by the truth and some will take steps to stop it from being proclaimed. Perhaps under the guise of “neutrality,” perhaps under the guise of “The Patriot Act,” perhaps under the guise of “public welfare” or national security, something will be done to stop perhaps all of the organized media efforts to proclaim biblical truths.

Furthermore, on August 11, 2011, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom stated that he wanted Scotland Yard to consider stopping suspected rioters from having the ability to utilize “social media” that involved the internet (see UK’s Cameron May Call Out the Troops and Restrict Social Media)–thus the idea of interference with the ability to proclaim the gospel that way may fulfill what the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong understood, just prior to the start of the Great Tribulation.

The work may be stopped by government officials (like on the internet, television, etc.) and persecutions began because people of the holy covenant are warning the world of the results of their sins (which they will not want pointed out) and teaching that the King of the North is fulfilling these prophecies in Daniel 11. The faithful may be saying things that are not “politically correct” to the point that one or more governments will take action (especially if we are saying, and I expect to help do this, that a certain individual is the King of the North and that he will invade and destroy the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, etc.).

The government corruption in the USA regarding restrictions for its first amendment are likely to be a factor and will help facilitate, to a degree, the rise of the King of the North.  While we in the CCOG realize this, we boldly go forward as we also know “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).

As far as human fears go, there are other fears that Americans have.

Some people fear because they do not understand why they are here or the meaning of life. Some items that can assist include the following:

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.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?

Of course, various disasters are coming (Matthew 24) and it is wise to take physical and spiritual steps to deal with them. Yet, many with fears and worries take few, if any, steps to deal with such matters.

Jesus taught that having a godly fear was more important than fearing people:

28 And you shall not be afraid of those who kill the body that are not able to kill the soul; rather be afraid of him who can destroy soul and body in Gehenna. (Matthew 10:28, Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

As far as taking proper preparation goes, the Bible teaches the following:

3 A prudent man forsees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished. (Proverbs 22:3)

That does not mean that there will be no difficulties, but that proper steps should be taken. Jesus said:

43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:43-44).

Speaking to His followers, Jesus said they would have problems:

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

But Jesus also said:

22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:22-32)

People need to take proper spiritual steps now.  One of the biggest fears that people really have is a fear of making a mistake. Because of that, many Christians are paralyzed to do what they really should do and have proper faith in God’s word.

Jesus warned that it would could be hard to find faith when He returns:

8 Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?  (Luke 18:8)

Jesus also warned the Laodiceans:

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:  15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.  16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.  17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked —   18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.  19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.  20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘”  (Revelation 3:14-22)

Most Christians in the end times are Laodicean, so that warning should be paid attention to by all Christians. Yet, many do not fear being Laodiceans enough to repent. People really need to have courage and properly exercise faith (watch also Faith and Courage). Those who think they should be ‘independent’ are deceiving themselves per Zephaniah 2:1-3 (watch Zephaniah’s ‘Gather Together’ Prophecy; see also Independent Members of the COG: Herbert W. Armstrong Comments, Plus Questions and Answers). Those in COGs that are not truly Philadelphian and have prophetic errors (see list in the article The Laodicean Church Era) need to change.

Trials and tribulations are coming, but those who will heed Jesus’ call to be Philadelphian Christians in this age can be protected from the coming hour of trial that will come upon the earth:

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:7-11)

Sadly, most who profess Christ in these days are NOT Philadelphian Christians and will have to go through the tribulation. Notice that Revelation teaches that only some Christians will be protected while others will not be:

14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:14-17)

Please consider your spiritual state, no matter where you may live. Just because you profess Jesus Christ and may keep the commandments does NOT mean that you will be protected. Only the Philadelphian Christians are promised protection and they have a different focus on truly doing the work (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20) in these end times.

Related to Chapman’s 2015 list, the Continuing Church of God put out the following short video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

Top Ten Fears

The Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel related to fear:

Cowardice and Overcoming Fear

What does the Bible teach about fear and cowardice? Are Christians ever afraid? Does the Bible have a different standard for courage and cowardice then the world? Why have the fear of God? How can you overcome your fears? Does Jesus chastise Christians for being afraid? What are some of the things the parable of the talents should be teaching us about fear? What did Jesus tell His “little flock’ about fear? What is the fate of the cowardly? Perfect love casts out fear, so how do you develop ‘perfect love’?

Here is a link to the sermon: Cowardice and Overcoming Fear.

The Continuing Church of God also put out the following sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel related to fear:

1:22:34

Ten Plus Steps to Rid Yourself of Fear

Billions of people are afraid for many reasons, including COVID-19. Are any fears good? Are there mindless fears and phobias? Can autosuggestion be deceptive? Can you deal with mental torment? What are some causes of bad dreams (nightmares)? Does Satan try to exploit fears through his lies? Can the weak become strong? Were Christ’s disciples ever fearful? Are there biblical ways to deal with fear? What about spiritual fear and the ‘fear of God’? The late evangelists Dr. Herman Hoeh had an article published in 1955 titled ‘How to Conquer Your Fears?’ What are eight steps from the Apostle Peter? What did Jesus teach about worry? Are most Christians Philadelphian? What did Jesus teach about fear? What is the ultimate biblical fate for cowards? Here a the list of ten steps to help rid yourself of fear: 1. “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8). Changing your mental focus will help you push out fear. 2. Develop faith. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). 3. Add virtue to your faith in the power of God. You cannot hide your sins from God (cf. Psalm 90:8). 4. Add to virtue knowledge. Study the word of God, study CCOG literature, pay attention to sermons (ContinuingCOG YouTube sermon channel) and sermonettes (BibleNewsProphecy YouTube sermonette channel). 5. Add self-control to knowledge. Resist Satan and his hopes that you will walk by sight instead of faith. 6. Add patience to self-control. You may have to go through many tests and trials to build patience, but as you get through the tests and trials you should have the faith to recognize that God got you through them and that you do not need to fear. 7. Add godliness to patience. 8. Add to patience, brotherly kindness. “Let Philadelphia continue” (Hebrews 13:1). 9. Add to brotherly kindness, love. 10. Be courageous. “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). This is how YOU can conquer your fears and worries! Ask God for help to carry out His ten-fold plan to attain real peace of mind. Then there is also prayer and fasting. Yes, through God’s help you can rid yourself of fear. This sermon by Dr. Thiel covers these topics and more.

Here is a link to the sermon: Ten Plus Steps to Rid Yourself of Fear.

As far as the nation of the USA goes, America needs national repentance and the return of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Ten Steps to Rid Yourself of Fear This is a vastly expanded version of a shorter article by the late Dr. Herman Hoeh on getting past fear. Here is a link to a related sermon: Ten Plus Steps to Rid Yourself of Fear.
Christian courage vs. cowardice As you courageous? What biblically is cowardice? Do YOU really understand this? Two sermons related to this article are available and are titled Courage and Cowardice and Cowardice and Overcoming Fear. A Spanish language article is also available: Valor Cristiano vs Cobardía.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
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. In German: Glaube für die von Gott Berufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章.
Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet 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)?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differs from Protestantism How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! [Português: Esperança do salvação: Como a igreja do deus difere da maioria de protestantes]. Several related sermon 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, and How Does the Church of God Differ from Protestantism?
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.
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.
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?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.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
The 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.