Church of God News

Owen Jones’ 1869 portrayal of Joseph having a prophetic dream
(Wikipedia)

COGwriter

The Temple Institute reported the following in its newsletter today:

“And Yosef remembered the dreams that he had dreamed”

(Genesis 42:9)

Tevet 3, 5784/December 15, 2023

Dreams! Every night we dream many dreams. Some we remember, some we don’t. Mostly, we leave them behind when we rise up from bed, and don’t give them a second thought. Not so Yosef! He was a lad who truly lived by his dreams and prospered by the dreams of others. His dreams as a youth nearly cost him his life, as his brothers, enraged by his nighttime visions of grandeur nearly took his life before settling for selling him into slavery to a passing caravan of Midianites. But later in life, Yosef’s proper interpretations of the dreams of others, of the chief cupbearer of Pharaoh and the chief baker, and of the great Pharaoh himself, launched Yosef into unprecedented prominence and power. Second In command only to Pharaoh, Yosef was assigned the welfare of the entire population of Egypt, and of neighboring peoples as well, as a seven year famine erased all thoughts of the seven years of bounty which preceded them. Yosef was given a new name by Pharaoh, Tzaphenat Pa’neach, a wife, Osnat, a ring from Pharaoh’s finger, raiment of fine linen and a golden chain around his neck. Yosef was a rock star! He toured the entire land of Egypt in a royal chariot, also appointed him by Pharaoh.

Yes, God gave Joseph dreams. But he faced opposition from his entire family when he told them about them:

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”

10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” (Genesis 10:5-10)

Yes, the patriarch Israel and his son (who became the tribes of Israel) opposed Joseph’s dreams even though they were from God.

Yet, telling them about the dreams was what he was supposed to do:

 28 The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; (Jeremiah 23:28)

When believers read about dreams in the Hebrew scriptures, they realize that God has actually used them.

But, some in the various COGs have commented that they do not care to know about dreams in this century.

Do dreams and prophets have any place in the Christian Church today?

Did any dreams precede the start of the old Radio Church of God? What about the Continuing Church of God (which did not officially form as a declared entity until December 28, 2012)?

The Bible records that God often has used dreams to give messages (Genesis 20:3-7, 28:10-17, 31:10-13, 31:24, 37:5-10, 40:5-18, 41:1-32; Numbers 12:6; Judges 7:13-15; 1 Kings 3:5-15; Daniel 2:3-45, 4:4-27, 7:1-28; Matthew 1:20-25, 2:12, 2:13, 2:19, 2:22; Acts 16:9).

I had a couple of dreams prior to the start of the Continuing Church of God, and also someone I did not know, who lived in New Zealand, had one prior to that start as well.

Though many discount all dreams, many also forget that Herbert W. Armstrong believed that his wife Loma D. Armstrong had a dream from God, although it took him some years to accept the validity of it:

Within 30 or 60 days after our marriage God spoke to my wife in what might have been an intense unusual dream, or a vision — but it was years later before we came to realize that this really was a message from God. (Armstrong HW. Brethren and Co-worker letter, November 28, 1956)

One night my wife had a dream so vivid and impressive it overwhelmed and shook her tremendously. It was so realistic it seemed more like a vision. For two or three days afterward everything else seemed unreal — as if in a daze — and only this extraordinary dream seemed real.

In her dream she and I were crossing the wide intersection, only a block or two from our apartment, where Broadway diagonally crosses Sheridan Road. Suddenly there appeared an awesome sight in the sky above. It was a dazzling spectacle — the sky filled with a gigantic solid mass of brilliant stars, shaped like a huge banner. The stars began to quiver and separate, finally vanishing. She called my attention to the vanishing stars, when another huge grouping of flashing stars appeared, then quivering, separating, and vanishing like the first.

As she and I, in her dream, looked upward at the vanishing stars, three large white birds suddenly appeared in the sky between us and the vanishing stars. These great white birds flew directly toward us. As they descended nearer, she perceived that they were angels.

“Then,” my wife wrote a day or two after the dream, in a letter to my mother which I have just run across among old family pictures, “it dawned on me that Christ was coming, and I was so happy I was just crying for joy. Then suddenly I thought of Herbert and was rather worried.”

She knew I had evidenced very little religious interest, although we had attended a corner church two or three times.

Then it seemed that, from among these angels in her dream, that, “Christ descended from among them and stood directly in front of us.

At first I was a little doubtful and afraid of how He would receive us, because I remembered we had neglected our Bible study and had our minds too much on things apart from His interests. But as we went up to Him, He put His arms around both of us, and we were so happy! I thought people all over the world had seen Him come. As far as we could see, people were just swarming into the streets at this broad intersection. Some were glad and some were afraid.

“Then it seemed He had changed into an angel. I was terribly disappointed at first, until he told me Christ was really coming in a very short time.”

At that time, we had been going quite regularly to motion – picture theatres. She asked the angel if this were wrong. He replied Christ had important work for us to do, preparing for His coming — there would be no time for “movies .” (Those were the days of the “silent” pictures.) Then the angel and the whole spectacle seemed to vanish, and she awakened, shaken and wondering!

In the morning, she told me of her dream. I was embarrassed. I didn’t want to think about it, yet I was afraid to totally dismiss it. I thought of a logical way to evade it myself, and still solve it. …

Do not hastily ascribe a dream to God. True, the Bible shows that God has spoken to His own chosen servants by this means of communication — primarily in the Old Testament, and before the writing of the Bible was completed. But most dreams mean nothing. And false prophets have misled people by telling false dreams, representing their dreams to be the Word of God (Jeremiah 23, where God says, “I am against prophets who recount lying dreams, leading my people astray with their lies and their empty pretensions, though I never sent them, never commissioned them” — verse 32, Moffatt translation).

Certainly I did not ascribe this dream to God. It made me feel a little uncomfortable at the time, and I was anxious to forget it — which I did for some years. I was twenty – five at the time. God left me to my own ways for five more years. But when I was age thirty, He began to deal with me in no uncertain terms… (The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, 1973, pp. 187,193-194).

Loma and Herbert W. Armstrong were married in 1917. They were specifically told that they would have a work to do. Furthermore, the bright lights in the dream may have had to do with doing a work (cf. Matthew 5:16)–a work that seemed to vanish and return (flash).

Thus, there was a dream from God given to a woman in the 20th century that preceded the start of the old Radio Church of God that Herbert W. Armstrong led. The Radio Church of God represented the start of the Philadelphia era and the Philadelphian work–a work that is not finished (cf. Matthew 24:14-15)–and Herbert W. Armstrong claimed that a dream given to his wife was from God, prior to the start of the Philadelphia era.

The Bible says:

8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them … (Genesis 42:8-9)

Notice that after events that occurred years later confirmed Joseph’s dreams, then he remembered them. When events confirmed Loma Armstrong’s dream, she and Herbert W. Armstrong remembered them.

Now, consider that since the Philadelphia era was raised up after Loma Armstrong’s dream, a question to ponder is, would God do anything similar to point to the continuation of the end-time COG remnant of the Philadelphians?

Consider that in Loma Armstrong’s dream that there were two sets of flashing stars–there were two parts to the dream. Herbert W. Armstrong is now dead and there was a pause between the work God had him to do and the completion of the final phase of the work to finally fulfill Matthew 24:14 (cf. Isaiah 29:14).

Herbert W. Armstrong mentioned the dream from time to time publicly, here are two nearly identical accounts:

I’m usually pretty skeptical about God speaking to anyone today in visions or dreams. God speaks to us thru His Son, Jesus Christ — the WORD of God — and the Bible is the written Word. I didn’t really believe it then, 38 years ago, but subsequent events have verified that God did speak to my wife at that time, shortly after we were married, revealing thru an angel that He was calling us to the mission of WARNING the world of the fast-approaching END OF THIS WORLD, the Coming of Jesus Christ, and the world-ruling Kingdom of God. At the time I was unconverted, not bothering to attend church, interested only in business and making money. I was embarrassed — a little awed — but immediately tried to put it out of my mind. But at age 30 God took away my business, struck me down, took away my idol of money-making and business prestige. (Armstrong HW. Co-worker letter, November 25, 1955)

I’m usually pretty skeptical about God speaking to anyone today in visions or dreams. God speaks to us thru His Son, Jesus Christ — the WORD of God — and the Bible is the written Word. I didn’t really believe it then, 38 years ago, but subsequent events have verified that God did speak to my wife at that time, shortly after we were married, revealing thru an angel in a vision that He was calling us to the mission of WARNING the world of the fast- approaching END OF THIS WORLD, the coming of Jesus Christ, and the world-ruling Kingdom of God. At that time I was unconverted, not bothering to attend church, interested only in business and making money. I was embarrassed — a little awed — but immediately tried to put it out of my mind. But at age 30 God took away my business, struck me down, took away my idol of money-making and business prestige. (Armstrong HW. Co-worker letter, February 21, 1956)

Notice that the dream was to go until the end of the world and the coming of Jesus–since Herbert W. Armstrong has been dead since January 16, 1986–if the dream was from God then, does it not make sense that the second half of the dream would be fulfilled by another in the 21st century? We in the Continuing Church of God are fulfilling that second part of the stars.

Perhaps it should be mentioned, Herbert W. Armstrong had more information about what I am referring to as the first set of stars in the dream. He wrote:

It was a dazzling spectacle … People by the hundreds came running into this broad intersection looking up to see the strange phenomena … A vast multitude of eyes were upon us … I have only come to believe that this dream was a bonafide call from God in the light of subsequent events. (Armstrong HW. The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, 9th installment. Plain Truth, August 1958, p. 18).

Eyes of a vast multitude suggest that the dream was saying, that the work to be done was to have a witness to many. This happened with the old Radio and Worldwide Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong’s leadership in the 20th century. The second set of stars in the dream, which he did not mention in the August 1958 Plain Truth, article, but did in his published Autobiography, may pertain to what I have called, for years, The Final Phase of the Work. But even if it had applicability to the ministry of Herbert W. Armstrong only, the dream, which shortly before his death he confirmed he believed was from God (per Aaron Dean, who I discussed this with on October 30, 2015), shows that one did precede the Church of God work he was involved in.

Consider that Herbert W. Armstrong concluded that his wife Loma’s dream was from God. He also believed the first part of it had to do with the start of the Philadelphia era of the Church of God via the Radio Church of God. He did not discuss the fulfillment of the second part of the dream directly, however he taught another work would be done.

The late Dale Schurter, a former WCG minister, reported that Herbert W. Armstrong stated the following in 1984/1985 (shortly before he died in January 1986). Here are two accounts of this:

“A few months before Mr. Armstrong’s death, my wife and I had the opportunity to spend several hours with Mr. Armstrong in his home in Pasadena. He spoke freely of the mighty work God had commissioned him to accomplish, and related certain heartfelt comments: ‘I can say that I have finished the work God has given me to do, and am at peace about it. I have preached and taken the Gospel of the Kingdom of God into all the world as a witness to all nations.’

“Mr. Armstrong went on to say, ‘I have come to realize there will be an even greater work to follow—to go again, to “prophesy again” to all nations tongues and peoples (Rev. 10:11) before the work of the two witnesses—but with more power and with a stronger warning message. But that will be for others to do.’ He continued, ‘It will be a short work (Rom. 9:27-29), compared with the longer time to complete the work I was given, and it will be cut short. That’s when the Great Tribulation will begin, as will the work of the two witnesses. These will last for three and one-half years, at the end of which Christ will return in glory.’” (“The Greatest Work Lies JUST Ahead…” as stated in RCG letter of May 31, 2013)

When Mr. Armstrong was age 91 — about 1984 — Mona and I had opportunity to spend several hours with him in his home in Pasadena to visit and further report on work he had commissioned us to do. We were to report directly back to him. He talked freely of the mighty work God had given him to accomplish. He went on to tell us there was yet a bigger work still to be done, to go again and repeat what has been done, but with more power and with a stronger warning, just before the work of the two witnesses would begin. He said it would be a “short work” (Rom. 9:27-29) compared with the longer time to complete the work he had been given, and that it would be “cut short.” That’s when the great tribulation would begin, as would the work of the two witnesses. These would last for three and one-half years. (January 7, 2012 Dale Schurter Speaks Out: UCG Resignation Letter http://www.rcgtruth.com/2012/01/dale-l-schurter-resignation-letter_06.html)

Herbert W. Armstrong’s part of the work lasted over 50 years, and he seemingly felt that the “short work” would be much shorter than his work. And that is correct.

Here is what was in Herbert W. Armstrong’s last letter:

The greatest work lies ahead … Never before in the history of the Church has it been possible to reap so great a harvest. It has only been made possible through modern technology, beginning with the printing press, radio, television ... Each of you must commit yourself to support God’s Work … God’s work must push ahead as never before. God is opening up new doors in television (Letter, 1/10/86).

Consider that since Herbert W. Armstrong did not teach that the second part of his wife Loma’s dream was fulfilled and that he also taught a greater work was going to happen after his death. It is greater because it will fulfill Matthew 24:14, etc. That is the work that we in the Continuing Church of God are leading (see The Final Phase of the Work and Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word). It appears that the second part of Loma D. Armstrong’s dream was pointing to the Continuing Church of God–the group that best represents the remnant of the Philadelphian portion of the Church of God. As far as radio and new doors in television and other media, check out the CCOG Multimedia page.

Dreams are a sign that God has used to confirm ‘Philadelphia.’

The Bible teaches:

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

So, does it not make sense that if God granted a dream to a woman prior to the formation of the Radio Church of God that God could have done that prior to the formation of the Continuing Church of God?

The fact that there were also other dreams related to the Continuing Church of God that were confirmed is consistent with the fact that God has used dreams related to the Continuing Church of God.

The Bible shows that God often chooses to work with prophets through a dream:

6 “Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream. (Numbers 12:6)

Many years ago I had a dream, which while I did not understand it at first, as it became more and more fulfilled over the years, I remembered it, began to understand it, and believe it was from God.

I was 50 at the time (which essentially makes me an ‘old man’ per Numbers 8:25; cf. John 8:57). In my dream, there seemed to be two parallel lines. Living Church of God (LCG) evangelist Roderick Meredith was on the top line and I was on the line much below. In the dream, I kept calling up to Dr. Meredith, but he never would respond. This lack of response made no sense to me during the dream. Then after what seemed to be a long time, the lines-crossed with his line dropping and my line going up.

One reason that I did not understand it at the time was that I was on relatively close speaking terms with Dr. Meredith then (he repeatedly told me he considered me to be his friend, plus he had appointed me an adviser to LCG on matters of doctrine and prophecy), so that aspect of the dream made no sense at the time. Also, since I had no intentions of leaving Living Church of God then (and certainly no plans to start a separate church), it was not clear what the dream was saying. Another reason I was unsure about the dream then was that I had not had any anointing for the Holy Spirit beyond baptism when I had that dream.

But these matters changed eventually. For one, I was unexpectedly anointed for a ‘double-portion’ of God’s Spirit (cf. 2 Kings 2:9) on December 15, 2011 by an LCG minister named Gaylyn Bonjour.

Furthermore, the following year Dr. Meredith became more distant from me, would not keep various promises to me, and ultimately stopped speaking with me. And after I got a letter from him on 12/28/12, it was clear to me that there was no way that the Philadelphia mantle could be with him or any of his leaders or remain in LCG. I remembered my dream as these subsequent events showed me that the dream was being fulfilled.

In late 2020, I had another dream that was fulfilled (for details, see Letter to the Brethren: December 31, 2020). In 2022, CCOG evangelist Evans Ochieng had another dream that was confirmed (Letter to the Brethren: May 19, 2022).

There have been numerous confirmed dreams associated with the Continuing Church of God (for details, check out Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).

Related to dreams, the Bible also teaches:

8 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28-29)

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them,

“Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:14-18)

28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:28-30).

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ– 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:11-16).

Despite what the Bible supports, most Church of God groups do not seemingly accept that there are any prophets today, nor do they seem to accept that God actually sometimes speaks in dreams in the 21st century–some, oddly, seem indignant of the very idea. Part of the reason for this is that those self-proclaimed ‘prophets’ outside of the Continuing Church of God have tended to be proven to be false (see also Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders?).

But that does not mean God doesn’t ever use dreams or have any in the office of prophet or ever pour out a ‘double-portion’ of His Spirit (cf. 2 Kings 2:9-15) as happened when an ordained minister so prayed and anointed me on December 15, 2011 (see also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God).

The Bible shows that the Apostle Peter and the prophet Joel mentioned that there would be some with prophetic dreams in the end times.

Perhaps it should also be mentioned that the Personal Correspondence Department in the old WCG sent out a letter on dreams and stated the Bible showed that future dreams from God to His people were expected. It then had a date change added to it and here is a quote from that one:

Thank you for your question concerning visions or dreams. The Bible reveals that in times past servants of God were given visions and dreams for specific reasons and/or to convey special messages. …God has used this means of communication in the past and will do so again (Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28) (L052 Worldwide Church of God, 1989)

As the WCG did not publicly acknowledge any such dreams after that letter was sent, the interpretation must be that God would later use dreams (it should be mentioned that the original date of L052 was prior to 1986–hence it was not a change by the Tkach Administration).

In addition to my earlier dream (which seemed consistent with Number 12:6 and Acts 2:17), there is another dream related to the Continuing Church of God that I would like to mention in some detail here that someone else had.

Unbeknownst to me until late September 2013, a woman named Fesilafai Fiso Leaana of New Zealand had a dream after going to bed on December 8, 2012. Here is a report that Fesilafai Fiso Leaana wrote about her dream:

A few months before my dream, my husband and I noticed a contradiction in practice, regarding the sabbath commandment in LCG, from there we started to pray continuously for God to lead us to where the truth is. It seems God has answered our prayers through the dream.

The dream began with myself and approximately 70 New Zealand Living Church of God brethren, then suddenly LCG vanished (I was wondering where is LCG?) and I was left standing with approximately 10 people excluding myself, on a very high building. We were standing on the very top of the building, where I couldn’t see the bottom, there were no other buildings, just this building. I could not see the bottom of the building but just clouds below the building and clouds surrounding the building which led to a beautiful white mountain – a mountain that had no ends on either side. The building was pretty close to the mountain, I could see the top of the mountain. The mountain was all white and so beautiful. I remember that I began to be filled with joy and peace. But also wondering how we got up on this building and confused why there were no other buildings but the clouds seemed like it was hiding the building and I felt protected or it felt like a safe place. I looked around there were still only about ten people there, the only person I could clearly recognize was Shirley constantly working, the approximate ten others were just sitting and standing around. So I walked around the building looking for the large crowd from LCG, but all I kept returning to was that Shirley was working and doing different types of work alone while the others were still sitting and standing around the building with me. I wondered why she was working a lot. I could not find LCG.

Then suddenly a message came to my mind: “There is a secret in the mountain”. And I was so happy to know that, I was still feeling elated and could still see the beautiful white mountain and wondered about the secret. Then I asked: “What is the secret?” Then the message said, nobody knows the secret in the mountain but only you have received this message that there is a secret in the mountain. Then I asked ‘what is the secret in the mountain?’ I received a message to my mind that told me that “the secret in the mountain is the Ark of the Covenant”. Then the dream abruptly ended because I woke up. And immediately, I woke up my husband and recounted the dream to him, and I told my husband that it reminded me of when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on the mountain and that the mountain was also covered with clouds.

On the same day after my dream, at church service Mr Penman warned us to be careful what we read from Bob Thiel’s Obama book, because they do not support everything he wrote in it. At the time I kept your name in my mind as I did not know who you were then.

Then 3 weeks later Shirley contacted me regarding your Chronology – the exit from LCG. Shirley had all of the Chronology and gave us all a print out of it and went over it with my husband and I. Shirley kept stressing the integrity of the LCG leadership and administration was compromised as proven by your Chronology account. Then my husband and I had to make a decision whether we would continue with LCG or go with Bob Thiel (you) since Shirley, John and Kayla had already decided to be with you 🙂

We decided to go with Bob Thiel and then left the meeting but a letter from Mr. Penman and a visit from the new New Zealand minister Paul attempted to obstruct our departure and tried to dissuade us from leaving LCG and coming with you. This forced us to carefully rethink our decision.

Then what happened?

She and her husband remembered her dream as the account from her continued with the following:

My husband and I were alone, that’s when my husband said to me, “remember your dream? This is what your dream means, that we need to leave this church and go with Shirley”. That’s when we knew what to do. And this dream is the reason most of us in the kiwi CCOG knew that we are in the right Church, God told us to come to this Church. We reaffirmed with Shirley and others that we were going to go with Bob Thiel and my husband told them the dream for the first time and that the dream is the reason my husband and I decided to come. (email 9/29/13)

Within several weeks of the dream, ten people in New Zealand, including Shirley Gestro (the Shirley above) began to attend the newly formed Continuing Church of God.

Biblically, mountains can symbolize government (Psalm 30:7; Isaiah 11:9; Daniel 2:35; Zechariah 4:7) and white purity or cleanness (Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 7:14, 19:14). Clouds around a mountain (or at least the top of it) could show a separation—maybe a separation that keeps many from seeing all of the truth (cf. Job 22:14; Lamentations 3:44) or recognizing God’s top leadership?

The dream seemed to be a signal to confirm that the Philadelphia mantle was not with the Living Church of God, but instead was associated with someone that had something to do with the ark of the covenant. Prior to the dream Fesilafai Fiso Leaana indicated that she had problems with how the leadership in LCG viewed the Sabbath, and that was one of the issues that I dealt with within weeks of the formation of the Continuing Church of God.

Now, I (Bob Thiel) never heard of, nor learned of, this dream until after the start of the Feast of Tabernacles in September 2013 in New Zealand (which is where my wife Joyce and I began keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in 2013).

Why is that potentially significant?

Back in 2006, when I was first asked to give a sermon at the Feast of Tabernacles, it occurred to me that never in WCG, GCG, nor LCG did I recall anyone actually fulfilling the requirement in Deuteronomy 31:10-13 about reading the “words of the law” in Deuteronomy every seven years at the Feast of Tabernacles (see also The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time to Learn the Law). So, when the opportunity to give a sermon came up (in Guatemala), I attempted to go through that book of the law. In 2012, it occurred to me that since this was to be done every seven years, that somehow I would need to do this in 2013 (seven years later), but I was not sure how this would be done.

However, once the Continuing Church of God formed, I realized that this would be done at the Feast of Tabernacles in 2013 (sermons were given related to that, links to which are found in the article Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2013–and seven years later, it was also done in 2020).

After I began to cite Deuteronomy 31:10-13 and started reading the book of the law at the Feast of Tabernacles in New Zealand in 2013, Fesilafai Fiso Leaana came up to me and told me about her dream. We discussed some points about it and the ark of the covenant, etc. As it turns out, one of the items that was kept besides the ark of the covenant was the very same “Book of the Law” (Deuteronomy 31:26) that I was reading in its entirety publicly during that Feast of Tabernacles! This is a connection that, humanly speaking, Fesilafai Leaana could not have known. (There are also other potential ramifications related to the ark of the covenant that I may attempt to publicly address in the future.)

Subsequent events, events that Fesilafai Leaana could not have known on December 8/9, 2012, confirmed her dream. She had no idea that the Continuing Church of God was going to form, and I had not made the decision to actually form it until after getting a letter on December 28, 2012. Fesilafai Leaana’s dream is another witness as to the proper start, etc. of the Continuing Church of God.

And, like Joseph, Loma Armstrong, and I, Fesilafai Leaana remembered her dream. Dreams and visions are something that God intended to use during the end times (cf. Acts 2:17-18; Joel 2:28-29). Elijah apparently once thought that God would be in something dramatic, but then only was in “a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-13).

Although some have chosen not to believe all the facts about how and why the Continuing Church of God began, recall that the Bible teaches:

16 ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ (Matthew 18:16)

19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. (1 Timothy 5:19)

Of course, since Gaylyn Bonjour always freely stated that he did the ‘double-portion’ anointing, there long had been a second witness (though various ones have their own opinion about how to interpret that).

Yet, in addition to various facts, the dream from Fesilafai Leaana looks like perhaps God was planning on making it clearer for true Philadelphians (who are in various organizations/fellowships) to see that the mantle location had truly changed.

And there were other confirmed dreams. To see a chart of many affiliated with CCOG who had dreams that were later confirmed–check out the following: Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God.

Can you accept the word of God that He would use dreams in the end times?

How many witnesses do you need?

God still intervenes–Joseph and others listed in the Bible are not the only ones God has communicated with through dreams. Yet most who claim to believe Him and the Bible do not seem to really want to accept that.

The work (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20; Galatians 2:10) is being done, and CCOG is a work that God has blessed with at least 3 dreams prior to its start and several since.

The CCOG has also been the fastest growing of the xWCG groups in the 21st century.

But many do not believe that God will work using dreams in the 21st century, despite the reality that most once part of the old WCG supposedly believed that God did in the 20th century (see also Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).

Of course, most will continue to discount dreams and their confirmation as proper proof of anything they do not wish to believe. Many want more dramatic signs (Matthew 12:38; 1 Kings 19:11-12), but God does not always do it that way (Matthew 12:39-42; 1 Kings 19:12-14).

Most endtime Christians are NOT Philadelphian–most are of the Laodiceans (the Bible uses the plural here which points to many Laodicean groups).

The Apostle Paul wrote:

21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV)

Do not simply dismiss the scriptures that God would use dreams at this time.

Do not be lukewarm —be  hot–proving that what this post says is so, or be cold–truly prove, do not just dismiss the claims that God has been using dreams for several associated with the Continuing Church of God. as unimportant. Do also the same regarding prophetic claims (e.g. check out How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God and Church of God Leaders on Prophets).

It should be noted that the Laodicean groups are not false churches, but are not Philadelphian. Jesus specifically warned those of Laodicea to, “anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Revelation 3:12). How God works with dreams, and that in the end times they should heed a true prophet of God, is not something that the Laodiceans are willing to see. Yet, Jesus also specifically told those of Laodicea to “be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19)–yet, sadly, few will in time.

Laodiceans seem to think that even though they claim to believe the Bible, that God really has not been using dreams in the 21st century.

Satan and his allies do not want you to believe that God has actually been using dreams–he wants you to rationalize away the prophecy in Acts 2:17-18–otherwise you might take action he opposes.

Can you believe?

If so, are you willing to support the most faithful remnant of the Philadelphia portion of the Church of God?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God How has God used dreams in the past? Does God still use dreams? Did He use any involving those in the Continuing Church of God? A related sermon is also available: Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule.
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.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Will Philadelphian Christians instruct many in the end times? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work. Here is a link to another: Preparing to Instruct Many.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here are two related YouTube videos titled Final Phase of the Work: Need and Background and The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The Philadelphian organization striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. This page has links to materials in over 200 languages. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and CCOG: 10 Unique Years. Here is a written link to a version of that first sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?
Leading the Final Phase of the Work Matthew 24:14 will be fulfilled. Who is leading the final phase of the work? What did Herbert Armstrong and the old WCG teach about that and about prophets? Does Bob Thiel meet the criteria that the Bible and the old WCG set? What is the proof? What has the Continuing Church of God been doing? This is a sermonette length video.
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
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?
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
The Elijah Heresies Does the Bible teach that there will be a future Elijah? Must it be Herbert W. Armstrong? Two related sermons are available Elijah: Prophecies and Heresies and Elijah, Herbert W. Armstrong, and CCOG.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from lower level leaders? Two related sermons are available The Work per HWA and the Bible and Priority of the Philadelphia Work.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.
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
5. The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses some early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, CG7-Salem, Jerusalem 7DCG, and COG-7th Day-Denver. Here are two historical sermons: Sardis Church Era: Beginnings, Doctrines, and Leaders and Sardis: SDBs, SDAs, & CG7s.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?

COGwriter

A while back, I saw something from Time that seemed interesting. It was partially in response to the PEW survey showing that less people in the USA identify themselves as Protestants or Roman Catholics (see PEW: Declines in USA Catholics and Protestants). And that has reduced further since (see As America becomes more Godless, more see it declining).

Anyway, here is part of the Time article:

If America Became a Christian Nation

They probably wouldn’t like what it looks like

With political season kicking off again, so is the season where folks begin to use the term “Christian nation.” Some claim we were one, some claim we are one, and some say we need to become one. Yet, each time I hear that phrase I have an inner Princess Bride moment where I say to myself, “you keep using that word, but it doesn’t mean what you think it means.”

So, what if we became a Christian nation? Well, a few things would have to change… drastically. Here’s a few quick examples:Because truth be told, if America actually were to become a Christian nation, I don’t think the people who advocated for it would be too happy with the end product. …

We’d Have To Abolish the 2nd Amendment.

The 2nd Amendment is so beloved by American Christians that this alone would likely be the sticking point preventing us from ever becoming a Christian nation. Jesus taught his disciples that they were to never use violence to respond to evil (Matthew 5:39) and that they were to actively love their enemies. He also lived a life of nonviolent enemy love as a model for us to follow– and living our lives patterned after how he lived his is the ultimate proof that we belong to God (1John 2:6). A Christian nation would have no room for the 2nd Amendment.

No, the USA would not have to get rid of the 2nd amendment (cf. Luke 22:36). But it would have to cease being a warlike nation (see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence?) and also its love of violent sports (see Is American Football Evil?).

Early Christians would NOT participate in carnal warfare nor watch violent sports (see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence?).

Many who claim to be Christian in the USA would condemn the original Christian faith as a cult (see also Is the Genuine Church of God a Cult?) and would not be willing to accept it. This is despite the fact that Jude wrote “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Most do not understand original Christianity and do not want to. You can learn about it if you are interested in the truth:

Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?

Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

Let me also add that if the USA were a Christian nation, there would not be crosses associated with churches (see What is the Origin of the Cross as a ‘Christian’ Symbol?), the religious holidays would change (see the free online book: Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?), people would finally really keep the Ten Commandments (check out the free online book: The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast), and there would be many blessings that most cannot conceive of truly happening today.

People would actually be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles and not Christmas if the USA practiced original Christianity.

But because the USA is not Christian, but is ‘an hypocritical nation’ (Isaiah 10:6, KJV), punishment will be coming (Isaiah 10:5-11; Romans 1:18-32; Daniel 11:39; see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses) and some of the prophesied sorrows (Matthew 24:4-8) are already here.

The USA needs national repentance, which is not likely, but personal repentance still is.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection. A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is also available titled: Real Christian Repentance.Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence? Here are current and historical perspectives on a matter which show the beliefs of the true church on military participation. Is war proper for Christians? A related sermon would be: Christians, Violence, and Military Service.
Is American Football Evil? Is the most popular spectator sport in the USA something that Christians should watch? What do the Bible and early writings show? There is also a YouTube video available titled Should Christians watch American football?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church. Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God? , Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, and What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, and Early Heresies and Heretics, and Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, and Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, and Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List.
Should You Keep 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?
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?
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else? Here is a link to a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days. (Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Calendario Anual de Adoración –Una crítica basada en la Biblia y en la Historia: ¿Hay un Calendario Anual de Adoración en la Biblia?
What is the Origin of the Cross as a ‘Christian’ Symbol? Was the cross used as a venerated symbol by the early Church? A related YouTube video would be Origin of the Cross.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free draft/unedited pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings. A related sermon is titled: Christians and the Ten Commandments.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.

James and Ellen White

COGwriter

Although no real member in the Continuing Church of God celebrates Christmas, many Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs) now do.

While in the CCOG, we have cited Jeremiah 10 and other scriptures as proof that Christmas trees are not appropriate for Christians, in the late 1800s Ellen White had a different view:

God would be well pleased if on Christmas, each church would have a Christmas tree on which shall be hung offerings, great and small, for these houses of worship (Ellen White, Review and Herald, Dec. 11, 1879 per http://www.ellenwhite.org/criticg.htm 1/11/07).

Do Adventists know that Christmas is of non-Christian origin?

Well certainly many of their leaders do.

For example, the late SDA scholar Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi wrote:

The Celebration of Christmas in Some Adventist Churches

The religious celebration of Christmas in Adventist churches is a recent development. I grew up in Rome, Italy, where we never had a Christmas tree in our home or church. My father worked regularly on Christmas day. Our family regarded Christmas as a Catholic festival, similar to the weekly Sunday, Easter Sunday, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on March 25, the Feast of Mary’s Assumption of August 15, All Saints Day on November 1, etc.

When I first came to the USA in 1960 as a seminary student at Andrews University, Christmas was primarily the Winter break. I do not recall much Christmas decorations and celebrations in the churches I visited during the four years I spent at the seminary from 1960 to 1964.

Gradually things have changed during the past 50 years. This is evident by the profusely illuminated and decorated front-end area of many Adventist churches at Christmas time. Some churches seem to compete with the rich decorations usually found in Greek Orthodox churches.

Frankly, I am not inspired by the elaborate Christmas decorations and celebration, because as a church historian I am aware of their pagan origin. Jesus was born in a humble manger. There were no fanciful decorations to celebrate His birth. It would be more in keeping with the setting of His birth, to keep the decorations simple, designed to help people catch the real spirit of Christ’s humble birth.

It was the celebration of the birth of the Sun-god in ancient Rome that was accompanied by a profusion of lights and torches and the decoration of trees. To facilitate the acceptance of the Christian faith by the pagan masses, the Church of Rome found it expedient to make not only the Day of the Sun the weekly celebration of Christ’s resurrection, but also the Birth Day of the Invincible Sun-God on December 25, the annual celebration of Christ’s birth…

The term “Christmas” is not found in the Bible. It derives from “Christ + Mass,” that is, from the Mass Catholics celebrate in honor of Christ’s birth on the night of December 24. Surprisingly, there is no mention in the New Testament of any the celebration of the anniversary of the birth of Christ. The Gospels’ accounts of Jesus’ birth are very brief, consisting only of few verses. (Bacchiocchi S. Day and Meaning of Christmas. ENDTIME ISSUES NEWSLETTER No. 161, December 2006).

While Dr. Bacchiocchi appeared to be against it, Ellen White and many of her followers appear to have decided that this compromise with sun-worshipers is acceptable.

Here is one comment from The Catholic Encyclopedia:

It is true that the believers in Mithras also observed Sunday as well as Christmas.(Herbermann, Charles, and Georg Grupp. Constantine the Great. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. Nihil Obstat. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 1 Sept. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04295c.htm>)

An article announcing Dr. Bacchiocchi’s death also had this regarding his position on Christmas:

The adoption of the 25th of December for the celebration of Christmas is perhaps the most explicit example of sun worship’s influence on the Christian liturgical calendar,” Bacchiocchi wrote. “It is a known fact that the pagan feast of the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti – the birthday of the Invincible Sun, was held on that date.” (Expert on Bible, Sabbath dies at 70 Samuele Bacchiocchi best known for explaining shift toward Sunday worship. World Net Daily. Posted: December 21, 2008 12:49 pm Eastern. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=84204)

And since Mithras’ day was Sunday and his birthday was December 25th, why would any SDA find Christmas acceptable? (Those interested in learning more about Mithratic teachings and their adoption among those who profess Christ should read the article Do You Practice Mithraism?)

Here is some of what the last newsletter from Dr. Bacchiocchi stated about Christmas:

THE CELEBRATION OF CHRIST’S BIRTH

The celebration of Christ’s birth poses two problems: the date and the manner of the celebration. Regarding the date of Christ’s birth, we shall shortly see that the adoption of the date of December 25th by the Western Church to commemorate Christ’s birth was influenced by the pagan celebration of the return of the sun after the winter solstice.

Several scholarly studies suggests that the Feast of Tabernacles in September/October provides a much more accurate Biblical timing and typology for celebrating Christ’s birth than the pagan dating of December 25th. The latter date is not only removed from the actual time of Christ’s birth, but also is derived from the pagan celebration of the return of the sun after the winter solstice…

The good news of the date of Christ’s birth, is not a festival, with its gifts, parties, fun, feasting, yule log, and lighted Christmas tree–for these are but vestiges of a pagan culture that knows nothing of the true God. The good news of Christ’s birth centers around a person–God’s unspeakable gift, a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.

The Celebration of Christ’s Birth in Some Adventist Churches

Several fellow believers asked me to comment specifically on the celebration of Christ’s Birth in some Adventist churches. It is not uncommon for our larger Adventist churches to have a Christmas eve religious service. Somebody asked me the question: “Could you explain to me why some Adventist churches have special Christmas’ eve services while others do not?”

Frankly, I do not understand why some Adventist churches today are adopting the popular practice of an evening church service on December 24. Perhaps they may not be aware that they are imitating the Catholic “Christ—Mass” celebrated at midnight of December 24. They may also ignore the pagan origin of the date of Christ’s birth, which will discussed later. Most likely, for these churches it may be just a matter of cultural conformity, namely, the desire to imitate the impressive Christmas eve services held in Catholic and Protestant churches.

The religious celebration of Christmas in Adventist churches is a recent development…Gradually things have changed during the past 50 years. This is evident by the profusely illuminated and decorated front-end area of many Adventist churches at Christmas time. Some churches seem to compete with the rich decorations usually found in Greek Orthodox churches.

Personally I am not inspired by the elaborate Christmas decorations and celebration, because as a church historian I am aware of their pagan origin…

It was the celebration of the birth of the Sun-god in ancient Rome that was accompanied by a profusion of lights and torches and the decoration of trees. To facilitate the acceptance of the Christian faith by the pagan masses, the Church of Rome found it expedient to make not only the Day of the Sun the weekly celebration of Christ’s resurrection, but also the Birth Day of the Invincible Sun-God on December 25, the annual celebration of Christ’s birth…

THE DATE OF CHRIST’S BIRTH

Surprisingly, there is no mention in the New Testament of any the celebration of the anniversary of Christ’s birth. The Gospels’ accounts of Jesus’ birth are very brief, consisting only of few verses found only in Matthew 1:16-24 and Luke 2:1-20). By contrast, the accounts of what is known as “The Passion Week,” are lengthier, taking several chapters…

The Early Christians commemorated annually Christ’s death and resurrection at Passover, but we have no clear indications of an annual celebration of Christ’s birth. A major controversy erupted in the latter part of the second century over the Passover date, but the date of Christ’s birth did not become an issue until sometimes in the fourth century. At that time the dispute centered primarily over two dates for Christ’s birth: December 25 promoted by the Church of Rome and January 6, known as the Epiphany, observed by the Eastern churches. “Both these days,” as Oscar Cullmann points out, “were pagan festivals whose meaning provided a starting point for the specifically Christian conception of Christmas.”

Most Likely Christ Was Born toward the End of September or the Beginning of October

It is a recognized fact that the adoption of the date of December 25th by the Western Church to commemorate Christ’s birth was influenced by the pagan celebration of the return of the sun after the winter solstice. More will be said later about the factors which influenced the adoption of this date. At this juncture it is important to note that the date of December 25 is totally devoid of Biblical meaning and is grossly inaccurate as far as the actual time of Christ’s birth.

If, as it is generally agreed, Christ’s ministry began when He was about thirty years of age (Luke 3:23) and lasted three and one-half years until His death at Passover (March/April), then by backtracking we arrive at the months of September/October, rather than to December 25. Indirect support for a September/October dating of Christ’s birth is provided also by the fact that from November to February shepherds did not watch their flocks at night in the fields. They brought them into a protective corral called a “sheepfold.” Hence, December 25 is a most unlikely date for the birth of Christ.3

The most likely date of Christ’s birth is in the latter part of September or the beginning of October. This date corresponds to the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, known also as the Feast of Booths. This feast was the last and most important pilgrimage of the year for the Jews. The overcrowded conditions at the time of Christ’s birth (“there was no place for them in the inn”—Luke 2:7) could be related not only to the census taken by the Romans at that time, but also to the many pilgrims that overrun the area especially during the Feast of Tabernacles.

Bethlehem is only four miles from Jerusalem. “The Romans,” notes Barney Kasdan, “were known to take their censuses according to the prevailing custom of the occupied territories. Hence, in the case of Israel, they would opt to have the people report to their provinces at a time that would be convenient for them. There is no apparent logic to calling the census in the middle of winter. The more logical time of taxation would be after the harvest, in the fall,”4 when people had in their hands the revenue of their harvest.

Support for the belief that Christ was born at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, which occurs in late September or early October, is provided by the Messianic themes of the Feast of Tabernacles…

Ideal Time for the Birth of Jesus

The Feast of Tabernacles was the ideal time for the birth of Jesus because it was called “the season of our joy.” The emphasis on the joyfulness of the feast is found in the instructions given in Deuteronomy 16:13-14: “You shall keep the feast of booths seven days, when you make your ingathering from your threshing floor and your wine press. You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your manservant and your maidservant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns.”

A final interesting sideline supporting the possibility that Christ was born at the very time of the Feast of Tabernacles, is the reference to the wise men that came from the East to visit Christ (Matt 2:1). The land of the East is most likely Babylon, where many Jews still lived at the time of Christ’s birth. Only a remnant of the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile to Palestine during the Persian period. The wise men, most likely, were rabbis known in Hebrew as chakamin, which means wise men.

We are told that the wise men made their journey from the East to Bethlehem because they had seen “the star in the East” (Matt 2:1). Watching the stars was associated especially with the Feast of Tabernacles. In fact, the roof of the booth was built with leafy branches carefully spaced so that they would screen out the sunlight without blocking the visibility of the stars. The people watched for the stars at night during the feast because of the prophecy “a star shall come out of Jacob” (Num 24:17). It is possible that it was during the Feast of Tabernacles, the special season of star watching, that the wise men saw the Messianic star and “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matt 2:10).

In the light of the foregoing considerations, most likely Christ’s birth coincided with the Feast of Tabernacles. Being the feast of thanksgiving for God’s willingness to protect His people with the tabernacle of His presence during the wilderness sojourning, it could serve fittingly to celebrate Christ’s willingness to become a human being and pitch His tent among us in order to become our Savior.

The implications of this conclusion are self-evident. The Feast of Tabernacles in late September/October provides Christians today with much more accurate Biblical timing and typology for celebrating Christ’s birth, than the pagan dating of December 25th. The latter date not only is removed from the actual time of Christ’s birth, but is also derived from the pagan celebration of the return of the sun after the winter solstice. Why celebrate the birth of Jesus at the wrong time of December 25th,—a date derived from pagan sun-worship—when the Bible provides us with a more appropriate timing and typology for commemorating such an important event?…

The Pagan Origin of Date of Christmas

The adoption of the 25th of December for the celebration of Christmas is perhaps the most explicit example of Sun-worship’s influence on the Christian liturgical calendar. It is a known fact that the pagan feast of the dies natalis Solis Invicti—the birthday of the Invincible Sun, was held on that date…

Rome and the Origin of Sunday, Easter Sunday and Christmas

Let us note that the Church of Rome pioneered not only the observance of Sunday and Easter-Sunday, but also the new date of December 25 for the celebration of Christ’s birth. In fact the first explicit indication that on the 25th of December Christians celebrated Christ’s birthday, is found in a Roman document known as Chronograph of 354 (a calendar attributed to Fuzious Dionysius Philocalus), where it says: “VIII Kal. Jan. natus Christus in Betleem Judaeae—On the eighth calends of January [i.e., December 25th] Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.”

(Bacchiocchi S. (ENDTIME ISSUES NEWSLETTER No. 218 “The Meaning, Celebration, and Date of Christmas”. November 2008)

The idea of a December 25th Christmas is pagan, the SDAs originally did not observe it, we in the Continuing Church of God do not observe it, and it should not be observed by true Christians.

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

1:11:08

25 Reasons to Not Keep Christmas

Should you keep Christmas? Is it truly a Christian thing to do? Why or why not? Many try to teach that it is appropriate for Christians to keep it. But what do we learn from the Bible? What can church history help us better understand.

In this sermon, Dr. Thiel goes over the following 25 reasons not to keep Christmas:

1. In Leviticus 23, God lists His festivals–with specific dates.
2. In Jeremiah 10, God says not to follow pagan practices, such as using a decorated tree, in the worship of Him.
3. Nowhere in the Bible is the date of Jesus’ birth mentioned.
4. Scripture opposes the view that Jesus could have been born in late December because the “census would have been impossible in winter” per The Catholic Encyclopedia and because shepherds were not spending the night outside with their flocks then.
5. Nowhere in the Bible is anyone instructed to observe the date of Jesus’ birth.
6. The Bible does not show that Jesus’ disciples ever observed the date of Jesus’ birth.
7. At the time of Christ, observant Jews did not celebrate birthdays, nor did early Christians.
8. The Apostle Paul wrote that Christians were not to use demonic pagan practices (1 Corinthians 10:20).
9. Christmas was NOT part of the ‘faith once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3).
10. Early church writings do not show that any Christian observed the date of Jesus’ birth.
11. The sun god Mithras was allegedly born on December 25th as the season was celebrated as the rebirth of the sun.
12. Pagans celebrated the sun-god Mithras and the god of agriculture Saturn in late December each year with lights, wreaths, parties, and gift-giving.
13. About 2 centuries after Jesus was born, Tertullian wrote that people, in what we would now call the Eastern and Roman Catholic churches, used wreaths and lights, gave gifts, etc. in late December to be like the heathen. Pagan worship really is the “reason for the season.”
14. Tertullian condemned those practices as demonic and idolatrous and further wrote that those who professed Christ should not honor pagan gods in their worship.
15. The pagan Emperor Constantine worshiped the sun-god Mithras and celebrated Jesus’ birth on December 25th starting in 336 A.D.
16. Roman pontiffs followed Emperor Constantine’s lead and in 354 A.D., Bishop Liberius of Rome ordered the people to celebrate on December 25.
17. The anti-Semite Constantinople Bishop John Chrysostom, who opposed the biblical holy days, got a December 25th celebration adopted in his area by 395 A.D.
18. The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ, first found in 1038, and Cristes-messe, in 1131. It most certainly did not come from the Bible.
19. The “twelve days of Christmas” originally came from the 12 days of Yuletide which began at sunset on December 20, known as Mother Night, and ended on the night of December 31, the Night of the Oak King and the Roman day of Hecate.
20. Mistletoe came from the pagan Druids.
21. Yule logs were originally a scandal to the Church of Rome, but were later embraced.
22. Roman Catholics originally condemned Protestantism as the “Tannenbaum religion” because of what are called Christmas trees. But now Vatican City prominently displays one each year.
23. It is wrong to bear false witness, including telling lies about the mythological Santa Claus.
24. Christmas is NOT a biblical nor truly a Christ-centered holiday. It is a sentimental and commercialized pagan tradition.
25. The Apostle Paul warned Christians that they were not above God’s wrath for combing pagan traditions with Christian practices (1 Corinthians 10:21-22).

Dr. Thiel cites scriptures and historical sources to explain why those who wish to obey the God of the Bible would not celebrate Christmas.

Here is a link to the sermon: 25 Reasons to Not Keep Christmas.

Seventh-day Adventists now officially consider themselves Protestant, which means of course, they are not COG (see also Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism).

Some items of related interest may include:

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 is a sermon in the English language: CCOG and SDA differences and similarities.
Seventh-day Adventist President Ted Wilson’s Comments on the Remnant Church Ted N. C. Wilson spoke on the SDAs striving to be the “remnant church”, but what do the related scriptures actually teach?
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.
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.
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity? A sermon video from Vatican City is titled Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
Canadian & Philadelphian Mummers Parades: Another tie to Saturnalia In Canada there is a ’12 days of Christmas’ celebration involving Mummers. In Philadelphia, a parade is held on New Years. Does this come from the Bible or where?
Was Jesus Born in the Grotto of the Nativity? Was Jesus born in a below ground cave? Was Jesus born below the “Church of the Nativity”? Were the wise men there?
How did December 25th become Christmas? Was Jesus born then? If not, why December 25? Here is the article translated into Mandarin Chinese 12月25日最后是怎么被许多基督的信仰者采纳的.
Is Keeping Christmas a Sin? Is keeping Christmas acceptable for true Christians? What are some scriptures to consider?
What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them? Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday or that of the sun god? Here is a link to a related sermon: What do Catholic and other scholars teach about Christmas?
COGwriter Position on Other Churches and Religions What is the fate of those who do not know Christ? What about those who profess Christ outside the Church of God?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

REM song cover

COGwriter

The Guardian posted the following:

‘I couldn’t pretend any more’: readers on why they left the Christian faith

Diana, 44, a retail worker from Yorkshire, was raised in a Christian fundamentalist home and always struggled with her faith; concepts such as predestination and creationism “never made sense” to her.

“Losing my faith was a process of gradual disengagement,” she says. “At some point, … I finally admitted to myself that I didn’t believe in a supernatural being, and couldn’t pretend any more.”

Today, Diana is an atheist … Various people cited similar experiences.  …

For James, a programme manager from Birmingham, it was more of a creeping realisation as he got older that certain aspects of Christian dogma were incompatible with critical thinking.

“At some point in my late teens the stuff that provided comfort, such as the idea of an omnipotent, omniscient god, suddenly started to feel more like a fairytale you tell kids to help them sleep, and posed questions. And then I thought: ‘If God knows exactly what I’m going to do, and lets it happen, then I no longer have a free will’,” the 44-year-old says. …

James describes himself as an atheist now …

Pauline, 54, who is retired and lives in Bristol, says certain Christian teachings became irreconcilable with her values over time.

“I probably stopped calling myself a Christian in my 30s. I was brought up as a strict Roman Catholic with Irish parents. We always went to church on Sunday, and for most of my childhood it was a ritual that was nice and comforting,” she says.

But as she got older she began to have doubts. …

During the Covid lockdowns, Stephen Hunsaker, 28, hatime to step back and found he felt “so much better” when no longer practising his religion. Raised in the Church of Latter Day Saints in the US, the London-based researcher says he realised it was no longer something he identified with.

“I had been very devout my entire life, but when lockdown happened and I just stepped back, … Religion is meant to help you be a better person, but I felt like it was holding me back.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/02/i-couldnt-pretend-any-more-readers-on-why-they-left-the-christian-faith?utm_source=wnd&utm_medium=wnd&utm_campaign=syndicated

Leaving a faith that is not the true one shouldn’t be that difficult, but for many it is. The Protestant, Roman Catholic, and LDS  explanations of creation, free will, predestination, and God’s plan are wrong, and that can be proven biblically. For documented details with scriptural support of true doctrines on those matters, consider checking out the following:

Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Here is a link to a related sermon: Evolution is NOT the Origin of Life. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?

Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?

Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.

The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, Mystery of Race, and The Mystery of YOU. Here is a link to two videos in Spanish: El Misterio del Plan de Dios and El Misterio de Satanás, el Misterio de la Verdad, el Misterio del Reposo.

The world’s faiths–that are not truly biblical, have caused the following to be fulfilled:

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.  (2 Peter 2:1-2)

Yes, “the way of truth” has been “blasphemed” by false leaders claiming to teach Christianity. This has turned many off.

As far as the Protestant, Roman Catholic, and LDS faiths go, we have documented information on those, which explain that they have many areas that are biblical untrue. You may wish to check out some of the following:

Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.

Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.

Teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and the Continuing Church of God The genuine Church of God is not related to the Mormons and this article explains some differences and a couple of similarities. Also, might certain LDS prophecies apply to Mitt Romney? A sermon of related interest is available: Mormon vs. Church of God Teachings.

Scholars have issues with the world’s version of ‘Christianity’ as well. Dr. Bart Ehrman was some type of fundamentalist Protestant until he looked into matters like church history and realized that nothing like Protestant fundamentalism was practiced by early Christians. As it turns out, according to Dr. James Tabor, nearly all heads of theology departments of most universities in the USA are atheists or agnostics.

Many have ‘lost their religion”–here is a link with information about the loss of faith in the UK: Non-religious grow in the UK and official has proclaimed that parts of the Bible are ‘no longer appropriate for modern society’.

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

However, the song also came to mind a few years ago when I read about a Protestant leader named Marty Sampson who then lost his religion. He was then being praised by atheists.

His announcement came after a well-known Protestant, dating-marriage author, Joshua Harris, renounced his beliefs, announced he was getting divorced, and offered apologies to the LGBTQ crowd.

Neither of these men had the biblical faith. And both have also moved away from Protestantism.

Here is some information related to Joshua Harris:

A former pastor who stunned the evangelical movement last month by announcing he was “falling away” from Christianity and recanting his teachings on sexuality marched in the Vancouver Pride Parade over the weekend. … on July 26, Harris posted on Instagram that he had undergone “a massive shift in regard to my faith in Jesus.”

“The popular phrase for this is ‘deconstruction,’ the biblical phrase is ‘falling away,” he added. “By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian.”

In the same post, he specifically apologized for his previous opposition to same-sex marriage and LGBT rights.

“To the LGBTQ+ community, I want to say that I am sorry for the views that I taught in my books and as a pastor regarding sexuality. I regret standing against marriage equality, for not affirming you and your place in the church, and for any ways that my writing and speaking contributed to a culture of exclusion and bigotry. I hope you can forgive me.⁣⁣” 08/08/19 https://www.newsweek.com/joshua-harris-gay-pride-parade-evangelical-1453273

The Bible not only strongly condemns the LGBTQ agenda, and states that those who remain part of it will not be in God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), it also says it is wrong to approve of people being part of such sexually immoral lifestyles (Romans 1:18-32). This was also clearly taught by second century Christian leaders such as Polycarp of Smyrna and Melito of Sardis. Apparently Joshua Harris now considers biblical morality and early Christianity a form of bigotry. He needs to be asking God, not the LGBTQ crowd, for forgiveness.

Here is some information related to Marty Sampson:

‘I’m Genuinely Losing My Faith’: Hillsong Worship Leader Rejects Christian Beliefs

August 13, 2019

Marty Sampson, a worship music writer, singer, and active member of Hillsong has publicly denounced his faith on social media.

His announcement comes just weeks after well-known Christian author Joshua Harris announced his departure from Christianity, both sharing their news over Instagram.

The following is a transcript of the post from Relevant Magazine:

Time for some real talk. I’m genuinely losing my faith, and it doesn’t bother me. Like, what bothers me now is nothing. I am so happy now, so at peace with the world. It’s crazy.

This is a soapbox moment so here I go … How many preachers fall? Many. No one talks about it. How many miracles happen. Not many. No one talks about it. Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No one talks about it. How can God be love yet send four billion people to a place, all ‘coz they don’t believe? No one talks about it. Christians can be the most judgmental people on the planet—they can also be some of the most beautiful and loving people. But it’s not for me.

I am not in any more. I want genuine truth. Not the “I just believe it” kind of truth. Science keeps piercing the truth of every religion. …

All I know is what’s true to me right now, and Christianity just seems to me like another religion at this point. I could go on, but I won’t. https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/entertainment/2019/august/im-genuinely-losing-my-faith-hillsong-worship-leader-rejects-christian-beliefs

Let’s deal with several issues related to him and what he brought up.

First of all, I have warned about Hillsong and its ecumenical-interfaith agenda. Essentially according to it, all religions are about the same. So, it is no great surprise that in the mind of people like Marty Sampson, his perception is that his type of Christianity was just another of the world’s religions.

Before going further, let me mention that the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon related to Hillsong its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:21:54

Music, Hillsong, and the False Gospel

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

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

Now, let’s deal with his other points.

Do ministers fail?

Yes.

And this was prophesied:

2 Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:2)

34 “Wail, shepherds, and cry!
Roll about in the ashes,
You leaders of the flock!
For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions are fulfilled;
You shall fall like a precious vessel.  (Jeremiah 25:34)

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. (Ezekiel 34:1-4)

Jesus, Himself, condemned the religious leaders of His day as “Hypocrites” (Matthew 15:7, 23:13-15), so having false pastors now should not be a surprise.

The Apostle Paul also warned about them:

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! 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 11:13-15)

If he would have practiced the true biblical faith, Marty Sampson should have understood that.

To his other point, how many miracles happen?

As many as God feels are needed for His plan–and sometimes what we consider to be miracles are rare (cf. 1 Samuel 3:1).

In addition to miraculous healings, the Bible shows God also sometimes intervenes with prophetic dreams (Numbers 12:6; watch also Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule)–which were prophesied for the last days (Acts 2:17). And we in the Continuing Church of God do talk about them (for details see Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).

Now as to his point about contradictions, no, the original biblical text had no contradictions–but various translations do. Yet, much in the Bible does contradict what passes for ‘Christianity’ in the 21st century. Sadly, Marty Sampson seems to have been influenced by theologians that do not accept the original Christian faith.

Let’s take another look at something Marty Sampson wrote:

How can God be love yet send four billion people to a place, all ‘coz they don’t believe? No one talks about it.

Actually, that is NOT His plan, but a distortion that many Protestants, starting with Martin Luther and John Calvin had. The biblical God “is love” (1 John 4:8-16) and unlike the Protestant deity:

20 Our God is the God of salvation (Psalms 68:20).

As to his claim no one talks about it, we have put out eight sermons as well as promoting the reading of a book that deals with the errors in misunderstanding God’s plan, for those not called to be true Christian believers in this age:

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’.

As far as genuine truth goes, sadly Marty Sampson and Joshua Harris have not understood it. Jesus said:

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:17)

The Apostle Paul wrote:

13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 14. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 2:13-14a).

7… the word of truth, (2 Corinthians 6:7)

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; (Ephesians 1:13)

5 the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, (Colossians 1:5)

So, whatever God says is the truth.

The Bible also teaches:

18 it is impossible for God to lie, (Hebrews 6:18).

2 God, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2)

As far as science goes, to claim modern science is the source of genuine truth is provably wrong.

The Bible also teaches:

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

Related to some well known Protestants losing their faith, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

17:47

Losing Religion (and HOW NOT TO!)

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

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

The Bible also warns about false science:

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)

Yes, many cling to what is falsely called science.

And that is the opinion of many in the scientific community:

June 1, 2015

Those who think science is the measure of all truth might want to check the data first.

Here’s a quote for you: “A lot of what is published [in scientific journals] is incorrect.” Care to guess where those words appeared? Not on a website that questions the “consensus of experts on climate change.” Nor do they appear in a publication associated with intelligent design or other critiques of Neo-Darwinism.

They appeared in the April 11, 2015, issue of the Lancet, the prestigious British medical journal.

The writer, Richard Horton, was quoting a participant at a recent symposium on the “reproducibility and reliability of biomedical research.” Specifically, the symposium discussed one of the “most sensitive issues in science today: the idea that something has gone fundamentally wrong with one of our greatest human creations.”

And he’s referring to scientific research—the research that not only purports to tell us how the world works, but, increasingly, how people should order their lives and societies.

As Horton told Lancet readers, “The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness.”

He continues, “In their quest for telling a compelling story, scientists too often sculpt data to fit their preferred theory of the world.”

We recently saw an example of this in a story about a much-publicized study purporting to show that voters were likely to change their minds about same-sex marriage if they were visited by gay pollsters who shared their stories with them.

Researchers seeking to reproduce the findings found discrepancies in the data and asked the original researcher for the original data. The researcher was unable to produce the original data. This led the lead researcher to request that the study be withdrawn. Even supporters of same-sex marriage acknowledged that the study and the conclusions drawn from it were fraudulent. http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/12/27474?spMailingID=11525872&spUserID=OTQ0MjM5NDU2S0&spJobID=560044991&spReportId=NTYwMDQ0OTkxS0

The actual percentage is probably more than half. A lot more than half.

Similarly, the editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Marcia Angell, wrote in 2009:

It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Don’t put your trust in unreliable humans:

8 It is better to trust in the Lord
Than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the Lord
Than to put confidence in princes.  (Psalm 118:8-9)

3 Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. (Psalm 146:3)

Getting back to Marty Sampson, now that he lost his religion, he is being praised by atheists. The term “Friendly Atheist” of Satan’s supporters who try to look like ministers of righteousness:

Another prominent Christian is now publicly saying he’s no longer a believer. (For once, Joshua Harris started a positive trend!)

This time, it’s Australian songwriter Marty Sampson, well-known in the contemporary Christian music scene …

It’s not clear when Sampson began this road to reality. I wonder if he had doubts when he was still writing Christian music or whether something specific led him to question religion more recently.

Either way, it would be completely unfair to say he wasn’t a True Christian™. Yes he was. He just woke up. https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2019/08/12/famed-christian-songwriter-renounces-religion-im-genuinely-losing-my-faith/

By no biblical standard was Marty Sampson a true Christian. He never understood, “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Basically, he practiced a modified form of the sun-god religion called Mithraism.

And if atheists were really into true science, they would renounce atheism. Instead they tend to cling to the false theory of evolution as a their religion (for detailed proofs, check out the free online book: Is God’s Existence Logical? ) and some in academia see this (e.g. ‘Famed Yale computer science professor quits believing Darwin’s theories’).

As far as atheism goes, it is not the way of truth. Related to it and Christianity, here is information and a link to a recent sermon:

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

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

As far as people go who were reported here but left their faith, they never were practicing the original Christian faith, so whatever religion they lost, it was like one in the world.

Perhaps, in time, if they are disappointed with science, immorality, etc. they will look for the true faith. A religion that Jesus referred to as the “pearl of great price” (Matthew 13:45-46).

A religion that no one should ever want to lose.

Some items of related interest may include the following:

Music and the False Gospel of Ecumenical Music Has popular ‘Christian’ music been promoting a false ecumenical gospel? Shouldn’t Christian unity be promoted? Here is a link to a related sermon: Music, Hillsong, and the False Gospel.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences
.Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity? A sermon video from Vatican City is titled Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Here is a link to a related sermon: Evolution is NOT the Origin of Life. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children.  What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on?  There are also three YouTube videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’ and Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children and USA pushing gender confusion.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality and the LGBTQ agenda?  Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Pornography: A scourge on society Is pornography harmless fun? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What are the views of some involved with it? A related sermons is titled: Pornography, False Comfort, and False Religion. Here a shorter YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
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.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
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.
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
CCOG and What is Truth? What does the Bible teach about truth? Does the CCOG teach the truth?

‘Lady of Guadalupe,’ Santa Fe, New Mexico City
(Photo by Joyce Thiel)

COGwriter

December 12th is designated by the Church of Rome as the memorial day for “Our Lady of Guadalupe.”

Many flock to see it:

December 11, 2022

It is one of the world’s most visited and beloved religious venues — the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with a circular, tent-shaped roof visible from miles away and a sacred history that each year draws millions of pilgrims from near and far to its hilltop site in Mexico City.

Early December is the busiest time, as pilgrims converge ahead of Dec. 12, the feast day honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. …

For the Catholic Church, the image of the Virgin is a miracle itself — dating to a cold December dawn in 1531 when Juan Diego was walking near the Tepeyac Hill.

According to Catholic tradition, Juan Diego heard a female voice calling to him, climbed the hill and saw the Virgin Mary standing there, in a dress that shone like the sun. Speaking to him in his native language, Nahuatl, she asked for a temple to be built to honor her son, Jesus Christ.

As the church teaches, Juan Diego ran to notify the local bishop, who was skeptical, and then returned to the hill for more exchanges with the Virgin. https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/mexico-basilica-of-guadalupe/2022/12/11/id/1100056/

Here is some additional information about it from a Roman Catholic source:

Guadalupe is, strictly speaking, the name of a picture, but the name was extended to the church containing the picture and to the town that grew up around the church. It makes the shrine, it occasions the devotion, it illustrates Our Lady…

The word is Spanish Arabic, but in Mexico it may represent certain Aztec sounds.

Its tradition is long-standing and constant, and in sources both oral and written, Indian and Spanish, the account is unwavering. The Blessed Virgin appeared on Saturday 9 December 1531 to a 55 year old neophyte named Juan Diego, who was hurrying down Tepeyac hill to hear Mass in Mexico City. She sent him to Bishop Zumárraga to have a temple built where she stood. She was at the same place that evening and Sunday evening to get the bishop‘s answer. The bishop did not immediately believed the messenger, had him cross-examined and watched, and he finally told him to ask the lady who said she was the mother of the true God for a sign. The neophyte agreed readily to ask for sign desired, and the bishop released him.

Juan was occupied all Monday with Bernardino, an uncle, who was dying of fever. Indian medicine had failed, and Bernardino seemed at death‘s door. At daybreak on Tuesday 12 December 1531, Juan ran to nearby the Saint James convent for a priest. To avoid the apparition and the untimely message to the bishop, he slipped round where the well chapel now stands. But the Blessed Virgin crossed down to meet him…

Gathering many into the lap of his tilma, a long cloak or wrapper used by Mexican Indians, he came back. The Holy Mother rearranged the roses, and told him to keep them untouched and unseen until he reached the bishop. When he met with Zumárraga, Juan offered the sign to the bishop. As he unfolded his cloak the roses, fresh and wet with dew, fell out. Juan was startled to see the bishop and his attendants kneeling before him. The life size figure of the Virgin Mother, just as Juan had described her, was glowing on the tilma. The picture was venerated, guarded in the bishop‘s chapel, and soon after carried in procession to the preliminary shrine. (Our Lady of Guadalupe. http://saints.sqpn.com/our-lady-of-guadalupe/ viewed 11/30/13)

The above is one fancified account and somewhat inaccurate report about it. While it is true that the bishop did not believe it at first, he also correctly, at first, understood that this was some pagan apparition. Mary, the mother of Jesus, never appeared there, and even the Catholic priest in the region initially realized that.

But reports of this apparition did affect civilization.

Here are more details, this time from my book Fatima Shock!:

The Lady of Guadalupe: Aztec Connections

One of the most important claimed Marian apparitions is the appearance of one in Mexico known today as Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Antonio Socci reported:

The apparition of Guadalupe—according to the general acknowledgement of historians—was what attracted the Indians to Christianity. Therefore, it was precisely Guadalupe that gave birth to Latin American Christianity. (Socci A. The Fourth Secret of Fatima. Loreto Publications, English Translation 2009, p. 143)

Some, like Ted and Maureen Flynn, have gone so far as to state:

Our Lady of Guadalupe means, “She Who Crushes the Serpent.” (Flynn T, Flynn M. The Thunder of Justice. MaxKol Communications, Inc. Sterling (VA), 1993, p. 27)

But that seems to be a misunderstanding on their part. Dr. Jeanette Rodríguez, a Catholic scholar, wrote:

Juan Diego…said, “She calls herself ‘Tlecuauhtlacupeuh.’ ” To the Spaniards this sounded like “Guadalupe”…But the Nahuatl language does not contain the letters d and g; therefore our Lady’s name could not have been “Guadalupe”… The Nahuatl understanding of “Tlecuauhtlacupeuh” is La que viene volando de la luz como el áquila de fuego (she who comes flying like a region of light like an eagle of fire, Echeagaray 1981:21). The region of light was the dwelling place of the Aztec gods, and the eagle was a sign from the gods. (Rodriguez J. Our Lady of Guadalupe: faith and empowerment among Mexican-American women. University of Texas Press, 1994, pp. 45-46)

So, the Lady sounded a lot like an Aztec goddess.

Here are three online Catholic reports:

The appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Aztec Indian Juan Diego …generated the conversion of Mexico, Central and South America to Catholicism. (Our Lady of Guadalupe. http://www.maryourmother.net/ Guadalupe.html viewed 03/21/2011)

Our Lady of Guadalupe…appeared to an Aztec Indian…on Tepayac Hill, near Mexico City on December 9, 1531. (A PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE. http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/our-lady-of-guadalupe.html viewed 03/21/2011)

The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared in what is now Mexico City on the holy hill of Tepeyac, dedicated to Tonantzin, the Mother Earth goddess of the Aztecs. That is one reason why the bishop didn’t believe Juan Diego. He must have thought: “We know who appears on that mountain and it’s not the Virgin Mary but some pagan goddess!” Actually, the native Mexicans thought the same thing: “We know who appears on that hill: Tonantzin!” And so they referred to what we call ‘Virgin of Guadalupe’ as ‘Tonantzin’ for more than a century. To this day Mexicans know the Virgin if {sic} Guadalupe not as just another form of Mother Mary, but as a particularly Mexican Queen of Heaven. (Rozett E. Mother Mary and the Goddess. http://www.interfaithmary.com/pages/mary_goddess.html viewed 04/07/2011)

It has been claimed that “Tonantzin, the mother goddess of the Aztecs, then took the form of the Virgin Mary. Therefore Tonantzin was substituted…because of the necessity to convert to the Catholic religion under a new political regime.” (Breaux JJ. Intransigence & Indifference: Essays Concerning Religion and Spirituality. Lulu.com, 2008, p. 85)

Bernandino Sahagún, a Catholic missionary, wrote, “Now that the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been built the Indians call her Tonantzin…This is an abuse that should be stopped…The Indians today as, in the old days, come from afar to see this Tonantzin.”(Bernandino Sahagún, 1958 as cited in Smith JB. The image of Guadalupe, 2nd revised ed. Mercer University Press, 1994, p. 111) Though Tonantzin could have been more of a title than a name, she is sometimes known as Coatlique, the serpent skirt goddess. (Espinosa G, Garcia MT. Mexican American religions: spirituality, activism, and culture. Duke University Press, 2008, p. 161)

Over one hundred years ago, the following was written:

The Legend of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Over three hundred years ago, it is said, an Indian was walking near the hill of Guadalupe, when there appeared to him a dark-skinned maiden. She ordered him to go to the Bishop and tell him she desired to have a church built in her honor on that spot… The Mexicans believe that the Virgin is their only protector, and they pray, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, save us from the wrath of Christ. Holy Mary, Mother of God, save us from the wrath of Christ.” (Woman’s missionary friend, Volumes 41-42. Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1909. Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized Dec 10, 2008, p. 57)

Notice that the Lady wanted something built for her honor and many believed that it was through the Lady that they could be spared from Christ! The Bible shows it is Jesus who spares from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10), not Mary. Thus, it could not have been a visit from Mary of the Bible. Furthermore, the Bible repeatedly mentions that God is merciful (e.g. James 5:11), but sacred scripture never specifically mentions that that any should go to Mary for mercy. The fact that at least one account states that the Lady had dark-skin (she has also been called the “mestiza Virgin”: Anderson C, Chávez E. Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love. Random House Digital, Inc., 2009, p. 79) and “Indian Virgin”: Rodriguez, p. 45) suggests that she did not look the same as certain other apparitions many later claimed to be Mary.

Why report any of this?

Because just like the Lady of Guadalupe (who could not have been Mary) was used to convert much of Latin America to a form of Catholicism, it is likely that a future apparition will be used to convert people in the end times to an ecumenical form of “Catholicism.” People need to be warned about this.

So, just one ‘Marian apparition’ has been claimed to have been effective in turning Latin America predominantly Roman Catholic–this profoundly affected those cultures and changed the world. What will happen if some type of ‘Marian apparition’ is seen and even shown on media like television and/or the internet?

It has been my contention for several years, after searching the scriptures and studying history, that one or more apparitions believed to be Jesus’ mother ‘Mary’ will be seen by the general public. Will not many be deceived by this? The Bible is clear that massive deception is coming (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Pope Francis has been encouraging Marian devotion through his words and actions. Even Russia’s President Putin has joined in (Russia’s Putin and Pope Francis both kiss Marian icon). Increased acceptance of non-biblical views of Mary are affecting people.

Here is some of what Pope Francis has said:

MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAS for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe…the Patroness of the Americas. I would like to greet all my brothers and sisters on that continent, and I do so thinking of the Virgin of Tepeyac…

When the image of the Virgin appeared on the tilma of Juan Diego, it was the prophecy of an embrace: Mary’s embrace of all the peoples of the vast expanses of America – the peoples who already lived there, and those who were yet to come…I ask all the people of the Americas to open wide their arms, like the Virgin, with love and tenderness. http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/11/pope_francis_sends_message_to_the_americas/en1-754682

So, Pope Francis is calling for all in the Americas to turn to his version of Mary and hopes others will in the future.

Even in New York City, the Guadalupe adoration is being promoted:

STATEN ISLAND, N. Y. — A mass celebrated in Spanish by Bishop Gerald Walsh, vicar general of the Archdiocese of New York, will be the highlight of a celebration on Thursday in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and the Mexican people, at Holy Rosary Parish in South Beach.

The day will begin with the traditional Mananitas, which is the early morning serenading of the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, at 6:30 am in the parish mission church on Sand Lane. A procession with the statue of Our Lady will begin in the mission church at 6:45 p.m. and proceed to the main church at 80 Jerome Avenue. http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/post_642.html

Notice that people serenade an idol, and that this is encouraged by Roman Bishops. People are somewhat getting prepared for more Marian veneration. Perhaps I should mention here that the “rosary” allegedly entered the Church of Rome from someone who claimed that he got it from a claimed Marian apparition. ‘Marian apparitions’ have affected humanity and may have even greater impact in the not-so-distant future.

Partially, to see how modern people view apparitions (as part of my book research), my wife and I went to Fatima, Portugal. While at Fatima I was surprised by the size of its entire sanctuary complex, but not the vast amount of visitors which came. My wife Joyce and I saw thousands of visitors in Fatima on May 29, 2011. And that is much less than the amount who tend to show up there on May 13 and October 13 (the anniversary days of the first and last appearance of the apparition) each year. Millions visit Fatima, Portugal each year, with the vast majority of them believing that Mary actually appeared there (though the apparition in Fatima never actually identified herself as Mary, nor based upon its appearance could it possibly have been). My wife and I also visited the oldest “Guadalupe” church in the USA in 2015 and reviewed various teachings that the church of Rome claims about it.

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

It remains my position that it is very likely that apparitions that people will claim will be Mary, the mother of Jesus, will be part of the signs and lying wonders that are mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 and Matthew 24:24 (cf. Isaiah 47; Nahum 3:4-5).

The current Marian-focused Pope Francis, as well as somewhat like-minded bishops, will likely be a factor in this. The ‘success’ of the ‘Lady of Guadalupe’ should serve as a warning to all that the world can be highly affected by apparitions that some will falsely believe are Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The ‘Lady’ of Guadalupe: Any Future Ramifications? It is claimed that a female apparition appeared near Mexico City on December 12, 1531. How has it affected the world? What might it suggest about the future? A video of related interest is titled: The ‘Lady of Guadalupe’ and Prophecy.
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy.
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future?
Mystery of Civilization Why is civilization like it is? How will it end? What will replace it?Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Mystery of Civilization and How it Will End.
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Feast of the Immaculate Conception? Did early Christians teach Mary had an immaculate conception and led a sinless life?
Origin of the Marian Dogmas: Where Do Catholic Scholars Say The Four Dogmas of Mary Came From?
Assumption of Mary Did Mary die? Was she taken to heaven on August 15th? What is known? What does the Bible show?
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did Catholic and Orthodox “saints” endorse or condemn idols and icons for Christians? A related sermon is available: The Second Commandment, Idols, and Icons.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. Whether or not you believe anything happened at Fatima, if you live long enough, you will be affected by its ramifications (cf. Isaiah 47; Revelation 17). Fatima Shock! provides concerned Christians with enough Catholic-documented facts to effectively counter every false Marian argument. In addition to the print version, there is a Kindle version of Fatima Shock! which you can acquire in seconds.

(Logo of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development)

COGwriter

A reader from Italy sent me a link to an article in Italian (https://www.maurizioblondet.it/leader-religiosi-si-uniscono-al-wef-per-promuovere-lagenda-globale-sul-clima/), which I machine-translated into English:

Here are the “religious” leaders joining the WEF to advance the global climate agenda

8 December 2023

Globalist agencies are now welcoming help from religious leaders fighting climate change, one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

But  some religious leaders are alarmed by their colleagues’ involvement in the climate debate.

“I think this is a dangerous program, and it prevents the Church from doing what its primary calling is, which is winning people to faith in Jesus Christ,” Robert Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Washington, told The Epoch Times. Dallas. . “We should be much more concerned with what God thinks.” …

Pope Francis’ papal letter on climate change addressed to all Roman Catholic bishops, titled  Laudato Si . … “ I urgently appeal, therefore, for a new dialogue on how we are shaping the future of our planet,” Pope Francis wrote.

And although the pontiff was unable to attend this year’s UN COP28 climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, he sent a message for the inauguration of the first Pavilion of Faith at the event, highlighting the responsibility of religious leaders in caring for the planet.

Many religious leaders have joined United Nations officials in calling for financial institutions to stop financing fossil fuel projects.

Leaders of the World Council of Churches, the Muslim Council of Elders and the New York Council of Rabbis issued statements in 2021 and 2022 saying that banks, pension funds and insurance companies had a “moral imperative” to stop to invest in fossil fuels. …

Michael O’Fallon is the founder of Sovereign Nations, a multimedia website dedicated to the preservation of national sovereignty. …

The climate change agenda is part of the UN and WEF’s attempt to govern the world’s energy and wealth, he said.

“  It will be an all-encompassing situation. She will change everything, unless we stop her completely  ,” O’Fallon warned.

As evidence of the new world order, he pointed to the Terra Carta, a document on the rights of people and the planet modeled on the 808-year-old Magna Carta.

The  Terra Carta  2021 is part of the sustainable market plan initiated by the British King Charles, head of the Church of England. …

Even traditionally conservative Christian groups, such as the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), have joined the environmental movement. …

A similar 2022 Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting called for rich countries such as the United States to pay poorer countries reparations for “loss and damage” caused by climate change.

Likewise, the World Economic Forum released a report in 2016 titled “The Role of Faith in Systemic Global Challenges,” which includes a section that declares that climate change can’t be solved without religion.

Klaus Schwab, WEF founder and executive chairman, told the Global Agenda Council that values can’t be justified solely through intellectual reason, which is why faith must be involved, according to the report.

The WEF, UN, and Vatican climate agenda is also being used as a way to build ecumenical and interfaith cooperation. That is one of the things that most globalists want to happen.

Instead of being part of it, true Christians need to heed the words in the Bible.

Jesus did NOT come to bring interfaith unity. Notice what He said:

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39)

Religious leaders who profess Christ and the interfaith and ecumenical agendas clearly are overlooking what Jesus taught. He taught His people should be willing to stand alone, even among family members. Consider also what the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”

17 Therefore

“Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. 18 ‘I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Christians are to be separate from paganism. Those who accept the true God as their Father must realize that. Isaiah wrote:

11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there,
Touch no unclean thing;
Go out from the midst of her,
Be clean,
You who bear the vessels of the Lord. (Isaiah 52:11)

To depart means to separate. Notice that Isaiah’s sentiments here are captured in the New Testament in Paul’s writing (2 Corinthians 6:17) and the Book of Revelation (18:2-4).

As far as religious leaders and the globalist agenda go, last year the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development revealed its ‘Ten Commandments’:

Multifaith leaders to gather in Israel and around the world for ‘climate repentance’

November 13, 2022

Among the faith leaders expected to participate are Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople (Istanbul), Swami Chidanand Saraswati from India, Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf from the US, and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg from London.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who is also known as the Green Patriarch due to his dedication to environmental issues, released a statement ahead of the event decrying the “abuse of nature and the exploitation of its resources” as a “sin against God the Creator and the gift of creation.” …

The “Ten Principles for Climate Repentance” cited by the organizers are:

1. We are stewards of this world
2. Creation manifests divinity
3. Everything in life is interconnected
4. Do no harm
5. Look after tomorrow
6. Rise above ego for our world
7. Change our inner climate
8. Repent and return
9. Every action matters
10. Use mind, open heart

https://www.timesofisrael.com/multifaith-leaders-to-gather-in-israel-and-around-the-world-for-climate-repentance/

Originally, this group wanted to hold its ‘Climate Repentance Ceremony’ on Mt. Sinai and then bring down its ‘Ten Commandments,’ making a mockery of what the Bible showed in the Book of Exodus–but the Egyptian government refused to allow that citing security concerns.

Now the above ‘Ten Commandments’ are certainly not the biblical ones.

Russian Iconic Portrayal of Nicholas of Myra

COGwriter

December 6 is the Greco-Roman Feast for Nicholas.

Greg Williams, president of Grace Communion International (the group that was part of the changed Worldwide Church of God) had the following in its December 2021 newsletter:

Believe it or not, even Santa can be saved! Far from being a dangerous fairy tale, Santa Claus in reality is an Anglicized form of the Dutch name Sinter Klaas, which in turn is a reference to Saint Nicholas, a Christian bishop from the fourth century. According to tradition, Saint Nick not only lavished gifts on needy children, but also  valiantly supported the doctrine of the Trinity at the Council of Nicea in AD 325. While the word Trinity­­–like incarnation–is not found in Scripture, it aptly codifies what God has condescended to reveal to us about His nature and being.

Santa Claus – St Nicholas – was a good Christian man who served others and believed in the Father, Son and Spirit.

No, Nicholas was NOT a good Christian man nor a saint. Furthermore, not only is trinity not mentioned in the Bible, it was not believed nor taught by early Christians.

Additionally, it is wrong to tell children lies about Santa Claus. Nicholas is dead. He does NOT know who is naughty or nice. He does not have a sleigh with reindeer. He does not come down chimneys to give presents, etc.

Now who was the real Roman Catholic and Orthodox and GCI saint called Nicholas?

Here are some answers from a Catholic monsignor priest:

The Real St. Nicholas – Not Fat and Not Very Jolly Either.

(Dec 6) is the Feast of St. Nicholas. The real St. Nicholas was nothing close to the St. Nick (Santa Claus) of the modern age. He was a thin curmudgeonly man with a zeal for the Lord that caused flairs of anger. Compromise was unknown to him. The slow transformation of him into “Jolly ole’ Saint Nicholas is a remarkable recasting of him centuries in the making…

Enjoy this excerpt on the real St. Nicholas of Myra (aka Santa):

He approaches Arius, fist raised menacingly. There are gasps. Would he dare? He would. Fist strikes face. Arius goes down. He will have a shiner. Nick, meanwhile, is set upon by holy men. His robes are torn off. He is thrown into a dungeon…

Saint Nicholas. Paintings show a thin man. He was spare of frame, flinty of eye, pugnacious of spirit. In the Middle Ages, he was known as a brawling saint. He had no particular sense of humor that we know of. He could be vengeful, wrathful, an embittered ex- con….No doubt, Saint Nick was a good man. A noble man. But a hard man.

Nicholas was born in Patara, a small town on the Mediterranean coast, 280 years after the birth of Christ. He became bishop of a small town in Asia Minor called Myra. Beyond that, details of his life are more legend than fact….He became a priest at 19, and bishop in his twenties…Nicholas of Myra might not seem like the kind of person who relates to kids, and few acts attributed to him involve children.

St. Nicholas of Myra morphed into Santa Claus. (Pope C, Msgr. The Real St. Nicholas – Not Fat and Not Very Jolly Either. http://blog.adw.org/2012/12/the-real-st-nicholas-not-fat-and-not-very-jolly-either/ viewed 12/6/12)

So, Nicholas was a violent and hard man according to a senior Roman Catholic priest. Nor, biblically, was he a saint (cf. Acts 5:32).

Here are two more articles about him, with a Germanic focus:

Though they have similar outfits, Nikolaus is not to be confused with Santa Claus, who Germans call the Weihnachtsmann, or Father Christmas…

Each year on December 6, Germans remember the death of Nicholas of Myra (now the Anatolia region of modern Turkey), who died on that day in 346. He was a Greek Christian bishop known for miracles and giving gifts secretly, and is now the patron saint of little children, sailors, merchants and students. Known as Nicholas the Wonderworker for his miracles, he is also identified with Santa Claus. Beliefs and traditions about Nikolaus were probably combined with German mythology, particularly regarding stories about the bearded pagan god Odin, who also had a beard and a bag to capture naughty children http://www.thelocal.de/society/20121206-15915.html

Children were often quite frightened of being questioned about their behaviour because they’ve been told that St. Nicholas will hurt them with his rod or even put them in a sack and take them away. http://www.thelocal.de/society/20111206-15915.html

Notice the following from the St. Nicholas Center:

In 325 Emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicaea, which was the first ecumenical council ever held. More than 300 bishops from all over the Christian world came to debate the nature of the Holy Trinity, one of the early church’s most intense theological questions. Arias, from Egypt, taught that the Son Jesus was not equal to God the Father. This was the Arian controversy which shook Christianity’s very foundations. According to one account, when confronted by the unyielding Arias, Nicholas slapped him in the face. For such a breach of decorum, Nicholas was brought before Constantine, who stripped him of his office and had him thrown into prison. During the night, Jesus with his Mother Mary appeared to Nicholas: Jesus bringing the book of the Gospels, and Mary, the bishop’s stole which had been taken from him. In this way Nicholas was reinstated. (Bishop of Myra. St. Nicholas Center. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/bishop-of-myra/ viewed 12/05/14)

While Jesus is God, since Jesus said “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28), this should help prove that Nicholas was wrong to punch somebody who claimed to believe something like that–plus Christians are not to be violent (Luke 3:14; see also Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence? ). Hence this helps demonstrate that Jesus’ mother Mary truly DID NOT appear to him, to get him acquitted of this. Mary, the mother of Jesus, did not appear to Nicholas (see also Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions).

Perhaps I should mention that once, when my wife and I were in Serbia, we were told that Nicholas is the most popular ‘saint’ in that Eastern Orthodox-dominated land.

Here is some of what the Eastern Orthodox have strangely claimed about him:

As a faithful bishop/shepherd, St. Nicholas was revered as a saint even before his death because of his great holiness and tender care of his flock. After the Blessed Mother and St. John the Forerunner (Baptist), Nicholas was the most revered saint in the early church. He is most honored in the East, especially in Russia. Throughout the world many churches are named for him—more than for any other saint. His ministry continues to this day as a powerful intercessor for the protection and advancement of the Church. (Orthodox America and St. Therese Byzantine Catholic Church, St. Petersburg, Florida. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/wonderworker/)

Of course, according to the Holy Bible, the only intercessor listed in the Bible is Christ (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)–and Jesus is specifically called the “one mediator” (1 Timothy 2:5, Douay-Rheims). Nicholas is not one who should be revered and he is NOT our intercessor.

Christmas itself is not a biblical holiday, but a compromise with pagan festive and religious practices. It was not observed by early Christians, and even the Church of Rome did not observe it on December 25th until some time in the fourth century. And the English word for “Christmas” did not even enter the literature before 1038 A.D. It was not an original day observed by early Christians.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

What Does the Roman Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them? Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday or that of the sun god? Here is a link to a related sermon: What do Catholic and other scholars teach about Christmas?
Is January 1st a Date for Christians Celebrate? Historical and biblical answers to this question about the world’s New Year’s day. A video of related interest is also available: God’s or Satan’s New Year?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays? Did biblical era Jews celebrate birthdays? Who originally celebrated birthdays? When did many that profess Christ begin birthday celebrations? A related sermon video is available and is titled: Birthdays, Christians, and December 25th.
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: OUeåf/y^v„W#eåÿ Ù‘Ìf/NNýy^v„W#eåeåS†NÎ2013^tó2024^t0.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD. A related sermon is available: Trinity: Fundamental to Christianity or Something Else? A brief video is also available: Three trinitarian scriptures?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it? Here is a link to a related sermon: Unitarianism? How is God One?
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy. Here is a link to a sermon video: Why Learn About Fatima?
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.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
Should You Keep 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.

COGWriter

December has several non-biblical observances that many observe.

For example, December 6th is observed by some to honor saint Nicholas.

And various ones celebrate something called Krampus.

December 8th is observed by Roman, as opposed to Eastern Orthodox, Catholics as the ‘Feast of the Immaculate Conception.’ It is an official holiday for certain countries in Europe and Latin America.

Here is some of what Pope Francis said about it before, from a translation posted by Zenit (a pro-Vatican news agency):

Dear brothers and sisters,

The message of today’s feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary can be summed up in these words: everything is a grace, everything is a free gift from God and his love for us. The Angel Gabriel calls Mary “full of grace” (Lk.1,28): in Her there is no room for sin, because God has always chosen Her as the mother of Jesus and has preserved Her from original sin.December 8, 2014 http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/on-the-feast-of-the-immaculate-conception

Despite the pontiff’s claim, the Bible shows that other than Jesus (Hebrews 4:15), “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23) – that includes Mary.

Here is some of what The Catholic Encyclopedia says about this Roman Catholic feast:

The feast of the Immaculate Conception

The older feast of the Conception of Mary (Conception of St. Anne), which originated in the monasteries of Palestine at least as early as the seventh century, and the modern feast of the Immaculate Conception are not identical in their object.

Originally the Church celebrated only the Feast of the Conception of Mary, as she kept the Feast of St. John’s conception, not discussing the sinlessness. This feast in the course of centuries became the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, as dogmatical argumentation brought about precise and correct ideas, and as the thesis of the theological schools regarding the preservation of Mary from all stain of original sin gained strength. Even after the dogma had been universally accepted in the Latin Church, and had gained authoritative support through diocesan decrees and papal decisions, the old term remained, and before 1854 the term “Immaculata Conceptio” is nowhere found in the liturgical books, except in the invitatorium of the Votive Office of the Conception…

Today the Conception of St. Anne is in the Greek Church one of the minor feasts of the year. The lesson in Matins contains allusions to the apocryphal “Proto-evangelium” of St. James, which dates from the second half of the second century (see SAINT ANNE). To the Greek Orthodox of our days, however, the feast means very little; they continue to call it “Conception of St. Anne”, indicating unintentionally, perhaps, the active conception which was certainly not immaculate. In the Menaea of 9 December this feast holds only the second place, the first canon being sung in commemoration of the dedication of the Church of the Resurrection at Constantinople. The Russian hagiographer Muraview and several other Orthodox authors even loudly declaimed against the dogma after its promulgation, although their own preachers formerly taught the Immaculate Conception in their writings long before the definition of 1854…

In the Western Church the feast appeared (8 December), when in the Orient its development had come to a standstill. The timid beginnings of the new feast in some Anglo-Saxon monasteries in the eleventh century, partly smothered by the Norman conquest, were followed by its reception in some chapters and dioceses by the Anglo-Norman clergy…

The “Martyrology of Tallaght” compiled about 790 and the “Feilire” of St. Aengus (800) register the Conception of Mary on 3 May. (Holweck, F. (1910). Immaculate Conception. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved December 8, 2012 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07674d.htm)

From the above we see that:

• The ‘Feast of the Immaculate Conception’ is NOT an original Christian observance.
• The first version of it developed around the seventh century in the Greek/Orient (Eastern Orthodox) church.
• Greek/Orient (Eastern Orthodox) church does not consider it to be of much importance.
• A falsely named and false book (the so-called Proto-evangelium of James) was claimed centuries later to support this (having read the so-called Proto-evangelium of James, let me state that any ‘support’ even from it is weaker than weak).
• The Russian Orthodox denounced the idea of the ‘immaculate conception of Mary.’
• The Western Church of Rome did not start to observe a version of it until the 11th century.
• Until 1854 the term Immaculate Conception was not officially used.
• The date itself seems to have been changed.

Thus, the ‘Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary’ was not an original Christian observance.

Basically Roman Catholic dogma, defined in 1854, teaches that Mary was conceived without ‘original sin’ and that she allegedly lived a completely sinless life. Since Roman Catholic scholars realize that this was not the original position of their early theologians (which they normally call “early Church fathers,” but are called “older Fathers” below), The Catholic Encyclopedia declares:

Proof from Tradition

In regard to the sinlessness of Mary the older Fathers are very cautious: some of them even seem to have been in error on this matter… these stray private opinions merely serve to show that theology is a progressive science. (Holweck, F. (1910). Immaculate Conception. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved December 8, 2012 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07674d.htm)

Notice that the so-called “Proof from Tradition” disproves the belief in Mary’s claimed sinlessness. And instead of this being a biblical or early tradition, it developed over time.

Here is some of what I wrote about this subject in the past (note: DRB is an abbreviation for Douay-Rheims Bible, which is a Catholic-approved version):

In the 19th century, there was a female apparition in France, known as the Lady of Lourdes. One of the statements she reportedly stated in 1858 was, “I am the Immaculate Conception!”

Now this is an unusual and biblically contradictory idea as the Bible teaches that all have sinned (Roman 3:23) except Jesus (Hebrews 4:15), as He is the only one who had a biblically immaculate conception, but not the Marian kind.

For non-Catholics, let me explain that what became an extra-biblical Catholic doctrine was that Mary was conceived unlike all other humans and free of what many refer to as “original sin.” Specifically this “dogma” has been explained in Dr. Ludwig Ott’s 20th century book Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma as:

“Mary’s freedom of original sin was an unmerited gift of God, and an exception from the law that was vouchsafed to her only.”

His book also teaches:

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary is not explicitly revealed in scripture… Neither the Greek nor the Latin Fathers explicitly (explicite) teach the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

So where did it come from?

Let’s have a look at some comparative religion. Before the birth of Christ, the Iranian goddess Aredvi Sura Anāhitā, known as the Persian Diana, was called “the virgin, ““the immaculate. “ Kore-Persephoneia was also the “immaculate Maiden“ and “Virgin of the World“ who gave birth to a son for Zeus, and she is believed to be same goddess Diana. Hence, it appears that at least some of the idea was part of paganism associated with “Diana“ goddess worship.

Jumping forward to the 12th century, a British monk Eadmer began to promote the idea of an Immaculate Conception of Mary. When he did so, “St. Bernard of Clairvaux… (about 1140), warned the faithful that this was an unfounded innovation…” So was the Catholic saint Bernard wrong in condemning Monk Eadmer’s heresy here? Of course not! Others, at least as late as the 17th century supported Bernard’s position on this.

Yet, after claiming to see an apparition in Rue du Bac, Paris in 1830, the Catholic saint Catherine Labouré claimed Mary “was conceived without sin.” The extra-biblical teaching of the so-called “Immaculate Conception” did not become a type of Catholic dogma until December 8, 1854. It, thus, was not part of early apostolic tradition…

In a letter to her confessor dated June 12, 1930, Lúcia {of Fatima fame} claimed that she was told the following on the night of May 29th-30th, 1930:

There are five kinds of offenses and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary: (1) blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception; (2) against her perpetual virginity; (3) against her divine maternity, refusing to accept her at the same time as the Mother of humankind; (4) by those who try to publicly implant in the hearts of children an indifference, contempt, or even hate for this Immaculate Mother; and (5) for those who insult her sacred images.

Priest Andrew Apostoli, in his Fatima for Today book, wrote:

Those who commit such blasphemies against our Lady are in grave danger of losing their souls, for these sins seriously offend God himself.

I was shocked to read the above.

Now if all five of those statements are blasphemies, then many early Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saints are guilty of blasphemy by that definition. History records that recognized Catholic and/or Eastern Orthodox saints such as Melito, Irenaeus, Theophilus of Antioch, Origen, Basil, Cyprian of Carthage, John Chrysostom, Ambrose, Hilary, Gregory of Tours, Bernard of Clairvoux, Bonaventure, “Albert the Great,” and Thomas Aquinas all took one or more positions that the “messenger” apparently considered to be blasphemous.

Since Priest Apostoli says that salvation may be lost for taking positions against those messages, does not this mean that he is challenging the validity of the sainthood of all Catholic-approved saints who took such supposedly “blasphemous” positions?

He surely does not intend to, but that is what some of the “blasphemy messages” really mean…

Teaching Against the Immaculate Conception

It needs to be understood that the idea of an Immaculate Conception for Mary was not an early tradition of the church nor is it taught in scripture.

The Catholic Encyclopedia article of the Immaculate Conception clearly recognizes this:

No direct or categorical and stringent proof of the dogma can be brought forward from Scripture.

So, the doctrine is simply not provable from the Holy Bible.

One aspects of the belief in Mary’s “Immaculate Conception” is that “she was immune from all sin, personal, or inherited.” Yet, scripture states:

23 For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God. 24 Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus, (Romans 3:23-24, DRB)

15 For we have not a high priest, who can not have compassion on our infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin. 16 Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid. (Hebrews 4:15-16, DRB)

All, including Mary, sinned, and need redemption through Christ Jesus (and not Mary) according to the Bible.

Notice that the Catholic Encyclopedia article of the Immaculate Conception also teaches:

* Origen…thought that…for her sins also Christ died (Origen, “In Luc. Hom. Xvii”).
*…St. Basil writes in the fourth century: he sees in the sword, of which Simeon speaks, the doubt which pierced Mary’s soul (Epistle 259).
* St. Chrysostom accuses her of ambition, and of putting herself forward unduly when she sought to speak to Jesus at Capharnaum (Matthew 12:46; Chrysostom, Homily 44 on Matthew).

The book Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma also admits that “individual Greek Fathers (Origen, St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom, St. Cyril of Alexandria) taught that Mary suffered from venial personal faults, such as ambition and vanity, doubt about the message of the Angel, and lack of faith under the Cross…”

Either those Catholic saints (or Orthodox saints in the case of Origen) were not committing blasphemy, they were not really saints, and/or the messages that Lúcia was told did not come from God.

Additionally, as late as the early 5th century, even the Catholic saint Augustine would not teach as dogma that Mary was without sin.

About 1140, the Catholic saint Bernard of Clairvaux warned the faithful not to believe the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary as it was an unfounded innovation.

The Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma also teaches that “the leading theologians of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries (Petrus Lombardus, St. Alexander of Hales, St. Bonaventure, St. Albert the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas…) rejected the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.”

Thus, to teach that it is blasphemy or a serious sin against God to not accept the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (as being different than how other humans were conceived) does not seem to be a biblical or early historical truth—even Catholic saints opposed the view.

Notice also what Jesus taught:

32 And the multitude sat about him; and they say to him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
33 And answering them, he said: Who is my mother and my brethren?
34 And looking round about on them who sat about him, he saith: Behold my mother and my brethren.
35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother. (Mark 3:32-35, DRB)

Jesus is showing that all who do God’s will are His mother, brother, or sisters. If Mary was sinless or conceived differently, He would have not included His mother in those statements.

The Eastern Orthodox in their Patriarchal Encyclical of 1895 declared:

XIII. The one holy, catholic and apostolic Church of the seven Ecumenical Councils teaches that the supernatural incarnation of the only-begotten Son and Word of God, of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, is alone pure and immaculate; but the Papal Church scarcely forty years ago again made an innovation by laying down a novel dogma concerning the immaculate conception of the Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, which was unknown to the ancient Church (and strongly opposed at different times even by the more distinguished among the Papal theologians).

Thus, the Eastern Orthodox have long taught that the idea of an “Immaculate Conception” of Mary was “unknown by the ancient Church.”386 And they correctly teach that Jesus alone is pure and immaculate, and refer to the Immaculate Conception teaching as a novel “innovation.” An innovation adopted since the 1800s is not an original teaching—true traditionalists cannot accept such late traditions as essential.

Since Pope Benedict XVI considers that those of the Eastern Orthodox are churches in “the proper sense,”387 obviously the Pope does not believe that they are committing sin or blasphemy in denying the modern teaching of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

Nor should anyone else based upon what the Bible teaches.

The pro-Vatican news source Zenit.com reported these two items:

Best Wishes for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

ROME, DEC. 7, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Padre Pio said that “The Madonna is the shortcut to get to God.”

There is no doubt that in order to see the face of Jesus, we must turn to His Mother, and it is to Her who we look to heal our diseases, to turn our tears into prayer. http://www.zenit.org/article-36131?l=english

Vatican City, December 07, 2014 …

Here is the translation of the Holy Father’s address before and after the recitation of the Angelus today to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

* * *

Dear brothers and sisters, …

The Virgin Mary is the “path” that God Himself has prepared to come into the world. Let us entrust to Her the expectation of salvation and peace for all men and women of our time. http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/on-the-lord-s-consolation

This also is in conflict with scripture. It is by Jesus’ stripes we are to be healed (Isaiah 53:5), not Mary. Jesus, not His mother Mary, is the one mediator. ‘Mary’ is NOT the one to whom Christians entrust their salvation. Salvation comes through Jesus Christ, and only Jesus Christ, according to the Bible (Acts 4:12), not Mary.

Here is something I wrote related to the mediator matter on page 249 of my book Fatima Shock!:

Mark Miravalle, a professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, wrote:

Let us pray daily for the solemn definition of Our Lady’s spiritual motherhood as co-redemptrix, mediatrix of all graces, and advocate, which truly reveal the saving actions of motherly intercession which come forth from her Immaculate Heart, and thus to bring the Church and the world a giant step closer to the Fatima-prophesied “Era of Peace.”

Yet, there is nothing in scripture about Mary bringing in an era of peace or being our intercessor—the only intercessor listed in the Bible is Christ (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)—the Bible says He is the “one mediator” (1 Timothy 2:5, DRB). The Bible shows that we are only to call upon the name of the Lord/God/Jesus (2 Timothy 2:22; Romans 10:12-13; Acts 26:20)—never Mary.

Although it is proper for Christians to state that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was blessed (Luke 1:48), it is blasphemous to insist that she was sinless (cf. Romans 3:23) and that one must turn to Mary in order to see Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

Fatima is a town in Portugal where an immodestly-dressed ‘Lady’ allegedly appeared to three children once a month for six months in 1917 (watch also Did the Lady of Fatima Wear a Short Skirt?). Many decided that Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared there. But the ‘Lady’ never claimed to be Mary and absolutely could not have been. Yet, Pope Francis dedicated his pontificate to her. If Pope Francis actually adopts the agenda of the ‘Fatimists’, who believe that peace will only come to the earth if a pope and his bishops will consecrate Russia to the allegedly immaculate heart of Mary, this could well be a major fulfillment of biblical prophecies related to false declarations of peace as found in Ezekiel 13:2-20 and 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

Jesus warned that all but the very elect will be deceived (Matthew 24:24). The Apostle Paul added that signs and lying wonders will deceive those that do not have the love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Marian apparitions may very well be part of that deception and the more that Pope Francis and others emphasize ‘Mary,’ the easier it will be for people to believe deceptive apparitions.

There is nothing in the Bible, or even in early church writings, that supports the view that December 8th is to be a festival for some type of ‘immaculate conception’ of Mary. Those who are willing to believe what the Bible teaches, as well as truly connect-the-dots related to early church history, will realize that. Sadly, however, multiple millions are not willing to do so.

Speaking of the Bible and festivals, a reader sent me the following:

In fact, the Interfaith Calendar organization lists 14 religious holidays for the month of December. Here are those holidays with a little explanation on each.

Dec. 6: Saint Nicholas Day — Christian

This holiday honors the birth of Saint Nicholas, the saint who serves as a role model for gift-giving and is commonly known as Santa Claus, according to Interfaith Calendar.

… Hanukkah — Judaism

This is the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, which celebrates the Maccabean revolt in Egypt. Eight candles are lit with a menorah to honor the holiday.

Dec. 8: Immaculate Conception — Catholic

In the lead-up to Jesus’ birthday celebration on Christmas, Catholics celebrate the day of Immaculate Conception to honor his mother Mary, who they say was preserved from original sin for her entire life.

Dec. 8: Rohatsu (Bodhi Day) — Buddhist

This holiday celebrates the historical Buddha’s decision and vow to sit under the Bodhi tree until he reached spiritual enlightenment. It’s celebrated through meditation and is embraced similar to how Christians celebrate Christmas to honor Jesus Christ.

Dec. 12: Advent Fast begins — Orthodox Christian

Though Advent began this last weekend, the fasting starts midway through the month with only two weeks until Christmas. The holiday is celebrated by believers lighting Advent candles, hanging wreaths and attending church ceremonies, according to Interfaith Calendar.

Dec. 12: Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe — Catholic

This is a primarily Catholic holiday celebrated by Mexicans and Americans of Mexican descent that honors the reported appearance of the Virgin Mary in Mexico City, according to Interfaith Calendar.

Dec. 16: Posadas Navidenas — Christian

This is a primarily Hispanic Christian holiday that commends Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem to give birth to Jesus, according to Interfaith Calendar.

Dec. 21: Solstice — Wicca/Pagan

Solstice is the point in the year “when the earth is most inclined away from the sun. It is the most southern or northern point depending on the hemisphere,” according to Interfaith Calendar. Pagans and Wicca believers will celebrate that event through Yule, in which believers also honor “the winter-born king, symbolized by the rebirth of the sun,” Interfaith Calendar explained.

Dec. 23: Mawlid el-Nabi — Islam

This is an Islamic holiday that honors the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, who founded Islam. Shia and Sunni believers will celebrate on separate days by reading the prophet’s teachings, according to Interfaith Calendar.

Dec. 25: Christmas — Christian

Christmas is a primarily Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Many will attend church, have family parties and exchange gifts, according to Interfaith Calendar.

Dec. 26: Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathustra) — Zoroastrian

Unlike many of the other holidays in the month, Zoroastrians honor the death of their prophet, Zarathustra, who founded Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions.

Dec. 27: Feast of the Holy Family — Catholic

Catholics use this day to honor Jesus, Mary and Joseph, according to Interfaith Calendar.

Dec. 28: Holy Innocents Day — Christian

Christians solemnly honor the deaths of children killed by King Herod, who was attempting to kill Jesus, according to Interfaith Calendar.

Dec. 31: Watch Night — Christian

For Watch Night, Christians will thank God for the safety they received during the year, according to Interfaith Calendar.

http://national.deseretnews.com/article/6884/These-are-the-14-religious-holidays-believers-celebrate-in-December.html

There have long been festivals in the winter that do NOT come from the Bible. The ‘feast of the immaculate conception’ is simply one of them.

Also, Pope Francis declared a new one a while back, which is to take place December 10th each year (see Pope Francis authorizes yet another Marian holiday: A Black Madonna connection to his interfaith environmental agenda?).

Let it also be noted that NOT ONE OF THEM WAS OBSERVED BY THE ORIGINAL CATHOLIC CHURCH.

None of God’s annual holy festivals occur in the month of December, though the Israeli national one of Hanukkah is alluded to in scripture (see also Hanukkah: Jewish Christmas and Hidden Key to Prophecy?)–and it runs from sunset December 7th through sunset December 15th in 2023.

For more information, please check out the following:

Should You Keep 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. Two related sermons would be Which Spring Days should Christians observe? and Fall Holy Days for Christians.
Was Jesus Born in the Grotto of the Nativity? Was Jesus born in a below ground cave? Was Jesus born below the “Church of the Nativity”? Were the wise men there?
How did December 25th become Christmas? Was Jesus born then? If not, why December 25? Here is the article translated into Mandarin Chinese 12月25日最后是怎么被许多基督的信仰者采纳的.
Is Keeping Christmas a Sin? Is keeping Christmas acceptable for true Christians? What are some scriptures to consider?
What Does the Roman Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them? Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday or that of the sun god? Here is a link to a related sermon: What do Catholic and other scholars teach about Christmas?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays? Did biblical era Jews celebrate birthdays? Who originally celebrated birthdays? When did many that profess Christ begin birthday celebrations? A related sermon video is available and is titled: Birthdays, Christians, and December 25th.
Greco-Roman Catholic Saint Nicholas Day December 6th is observed by some in Nicholas’ honor. Was he fat or jolly as Santa Claus is portrayed?
Is January 1st a Date for Christians Celebrate? Historical and biblical answers to this question about the world’s New Year’s day. A video of related interest is also available: God’s or Satan’s New Year?
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy. Here is a link to a sermon video: Why Learn About Fatima?
The ‘Lady’ of Guadalupe: Any Future Ramifications? It is claimed that a female apparition appeared near Mexico City on December 12, 1531. How has it affected the world? What might it suggest about the future? A video of related interest is titled: The ‘Lady of Guadalupe’ and Prophecy.
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Origin of the Marian Dogmas: Where Do Catholic Scholars Say The Four Dogmas of Mary Came From?
Assumption of Mary Did Mary die? Was she taken to heaven on August 15th? What is known? What does the Bible show?
Hanukkah: Jewish Christmas and Hidden Key to Prophecy? Originally a Jewish national holiday, has Hanukkah morphed into a Jewish Christmas? Does it hold hidden secrets to prophecy?
Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. Whether or not you believe anything happened at Fatima, if you live long enough, you will be affected by its ramifications (cf. Isaiah 47; Revelation 17). Fatima Shock! provides concerned Christians with enough Catholic-documented facts to effectively counter every false Marian argument. In addition to the print version, there is a Kindle version of Fatima Shock! which you can acquire in seconds.
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 is a related sermon titled: New Testament Women.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

Buddhist ‘Rosary’ (Pixabay)

COGwriter

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami posted the following in 2022:

The Bible on a string’ Facts about the rosary: How it developed, why it matters

October 26, 2022

The “Poor Man’s Breviary,” it’s been called. But a better nickname for the rosary might be “the Bible on a string.”

For millions, the rosary is the heart of personal devotion. Those 59 beads retell the lives of Jesus and Mary, illuminating their special relationship to each other – and to us.

In appearance, the rosary is a necklace of beads – wood, glass, crystal or other materials – with a cross as a pendant. But its name is drawn from the Latin word rosarium, or “rose garden,” an old term for a collection of literary works.

The rosary does hold a library of several important Church prayers including:

• The Apostles’ Creed, summarizing foundational Christian beliefs in the triune God, the virgin birth, the death and resurrection of Jesus, and his return.
• The Our Father, or the Lord’s Prayer, voicing faith in God, his daily provision and his lordship over the universe.
• The Doxology, glorifying the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Salve Regina, an anthem to the “Holy Queen, mother of mercy.”

The prayers include five decades, or 10 recitations each, of the Hail Mary prayer, with the Lord’s Prayer before each and the Doxology afterward. …

In 2002, St. Pope John Paul II made a historic addition: the luminous mysteries. …

Since 1917, many Catholics also have added a prayer after each decade for the conversion of souls. That was a request of the apparitions of Mary at Fatima, Portugal, who announced herself as “the Lady of the Rosary.”

As familiar as the rosary has become, its origins are lost in history. A popular tradition says that an apparition of Mary gave it to the 14th century St. Dominic. He then used it as a tool of evangelization, especially to counter the Albigensian heresy of the time. …

Dominic the Carthusian, in the 15th century, promoted a series of 50 Hail Marys and 50 Vita Christi clauses (references to the life of Christ). Also in the 15th century, Alanus de Rupe founded a brotherhood to spread the practice of rosary prayer.

Pope Pius V gave the devotions a big boost in 1571. He called for Catholics to pray the rosary before a battle between Christian and Turkish Muslim navies. Called the Battle of Lepanto, the conflict dealt defeat to the Muslims and safeguarded European Christendom. A grateful Pius declared October 7, the day of the battle, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Nowadays, all of October is regarded as the Month of the Holy Rosary, and nearly all popes have strongly recommended praying it.

“I invite you to pray the rosary, and to carry it in your hands or in your pockets,” Pope Francis has said. “The recitation of the rosary is the most beautiful prayer we can offer to the Virgin Mary and is a weapon that protects us from evils and temptations.” https://www.miamiarch.org/CatholicDiocese.php?op=Article_16667939627316

Before going further, it should be noted that, “The Apostles’ Creed, summarizing foundational Christian beliefs in the triune God” was NOT, according to even Roman Catholic scholars, the original creed–the one that they point to did not come until 380/381.

That creed was declared a required belief in 380 by Emperor Theodosius:

Theodosius … Out of political as well as religious motives, he energetically undertook to bring about unity of faith within the empire. His position was improved by the fact that during 379 the followers of the Nicene Creed gained ground, whereupon Theodosius on February 28, 380, without consulting the ecclesiastical authorities, issued an edict prescribing a creed that was to be binding on all subjects. (Lippold A. Theodosius I Roman emperor. Encyclopedia Brittanica, accessed online 09/16/19)

A year later, the Nicene creed was formally adopted at the Council of Constantinople that Theodosius called.

Consider that Demophilus was the Patriarch of Constantinople from 370-380 (List of Patriarchs of Constantinople. Patriarchate of Constantinople, http://patriarchateofconstantinople.com/list-of-patriarchs.html accessed 07/21/21). The current Nicene creed, that was adopted at the 381 Council of Constantinople met resistance before acceptance. Theodosius removed Demophilus from being the Patriarch of Constantinople because he would NOT accept the Emperor’s trinitarian Nicene Creed:

Immediately therefore he intimated his desire to Demophilus, who presided over the Arian party, and inquired whether he was willing to assent to the Nicene creed, and thus reunite the people, and establish concord. Upon Demophilus’s declining to accede to this proposal, the emperor said to him, “Since you reject peace and unanimity, I order you to quit the churches.” (Socrates Scholasticus. THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF SOCRATES. London, 1853, p. 266)

Therefore, it should be understood that: 1) trinitarianism was not the position of the patriarchy of Constantinople, 2) Arian meant Semi-Arian above, 3) that political considerations, not theological, looks to have been the reason to push trinitarianism, and 4) that creed did not come from the apostles.

How can something that was NOT agreed to as proper by the Patriarch of Constantinople be original?

Obviously, because it was not.

Notice what an Orthodox priest wrote about that creed:

The Nicene Creed, which was formulated at the Councils of Nicaea in 325 and of Constantinople in 381, has been recognized since then as the authoritative expression of the fundamental beliefs of the Orthodox Church. The Creed is often referred to as the “Symbol of Faith.” (Fitzgerald T. Teachings of the Orthodox Church. Copyright @2006 Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Church. http://www.stmaryro.org/en/default.asp?contentid=704)

Despite priests and scholars being aware of the truth, it is sad that many of the Orthodox believe that they have not changed doctrine and that their 4th century creed was original–but it is not.

As far as the rosary goes, it is not ” a weapon that protects us from evils and temptations.”

It puts a major, and improper focus, on Mary.

There is NO example in the Bible or of early Christians praying to Mary–praying to Mary is NOT part of the “faith once for all delivered to the saints” that Christians are to “contend for” (Jude 3).

Of course, only Jesus is our intercessor/mediator:

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

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

Thus any others who claim to be a mediator clearly contradict the Bible (from both the Greco-Roman Catholic and Protestant translations) and CANNOT BE OF GOD.

Notice the following:

The prayers that essentially compose the Rosary are arranged in sets of ten Hail Marys with each set preceded by one Lord’s Prayer and followed by one Glory Be. During recitation of each set, known as a decade, thought is given to one of the Mysteries of the Rosary, which recall events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. Normally, five decades are recited in a session. Other prayers are sometimes added after each decade (in particular, the Fátima Prayer) and before (in particular, the Apostles’ Creed), and after (in particular, the Hail, Holy Queen) the five decades taken as a whole. The rosary as a material object is an aid towards saying these prayers in the proper sequence. (Rosary. Wikipedia, accessed 11/03/16)

And one or more of those prayers often contain one or more statements that are in biblical error (e.g. that the dead should pray for the living in the case of the ‘Hail Mary’ prayer). Furthermore, although we should continue to pray regularly, Jesus also warned against the use of ‘vain repetition’ type prayers:

7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:7-8)

Thus, even though the outline of prayer Jesus gave in Matthew 6:9-13 gives us priorities and certain specifics to pray about, true Christians do not just repeat those words in rote multiple times in a row as those that recite the rosary do.

The Archdiocese of Miami article mentioned the so-called ‘Lady of Fatima,’ which showed itself to three young children in Portugal on May 13, 1917, urged people to pray the rosary. Few seem to realize the origin of the rosary. The rosary is not mentioned in the Bible but was added because of a “private Roman Catholic prophecy” to the Roman Catholic church over 1000 years after it was founded (Dupont, Yves. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p.9).

Some feel that the rosary either came from St. Dominic or later Dominicans as the result of an apparition:

Some histories of the rosary claim this tradition, too, originated with Saint Dominic. One legend holds that the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Dominic in the church of Prouille, in 1208, and gave the rosary to him. However, other sources dispute this attribution and suggest that its roots were in the preaching of Alan de Rupe between 1470-1475. (Saint Dominic. New World Encyclopedia. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Saint_Dominic viewed 06/29/11 )

Here is information from The Catholic Encyclopedia on the development of the rosary:

Impressed by this conspiracy of silence, the Bollandists, on trying to trace to its source the origin of the current tradition, found that all the clues converged upon one point, the preaching of the Dominican Alan de Rupe about the years 1470-75. He undoubtedly was the one who first suggested the idea that the devotion of “Our Lady’s Psalter” (a hundred and fifty Hail Mary’s) was instituted or revived by St. Dominic. Alan was a very earnest and devout man, but, as the highest authorities admit, he was full of delusions, and based his revelations on the imaginary testimony of writers that never existed (see Quetif and Echard, “Scriptores O.P.”, 1, 849).

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to suggest two videos on our YouTube channel called Bible New Prophecy which explains some of the risks associated with Marianism:

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks at Night
Stained-glass window by Tiffany Studios, ca. 1910

COGwriter

Luke wrote the following:

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. (Luke 2:8-18)

An independent Sabbatarian writer named Joe Kovacs was interviewed about this (see ‘Phenomenal prophecy for future hidden in Jesus’ first appearance’ Joe Kovacs’ statements about the shepherds aligns with God’s plan of salvation).

Joe Kovacs

He also has the following statements in his 2022 book Reaching God Speed:

Perhaps the most famous story in the Bible is the birth of Jesus, God in the flesh who was born in Bethlehem, laid in a manger, had visits from shepherds who announced the good news, (p. 151)

Jesus, whose name in Hebrew is Yeshua, meaning “God saves” or “God will save,” was born in Bethlehem (p. 152 )

It’s time to look at the shepherds in the story, who were given a glimpse into the unseen kingdom of God when an angel appeared to them and told them not to be afraid. “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:

‘Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord’” (Luke 2:10–11 CSB).

Scripture outright declares that what the shepherds are hearing is “good news” for “all the people.”

We’re given a portion of the good news from the angel, as he said, “a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” But the rest of the story of the “good news” is revealed when Jesus began His ministry as an adult.

And the good news Jesus was preaching focused on the future “kingdom of God”: “Afterward he was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1 CSB).

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15 CSB).

That future kingdom had been foretold far long ago by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah who, in a single prophecy, mentioned both the beginning of Jesus’s human life with His birth and the end of the story with His being the head over His kingdom, the everlasting government of God:

“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. “He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

“The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever” (Isaiah 9:6–7 CSB).

Now back to the shepherds, the people who keep and care for sheep. At God speed, a shepherd is one who cares for God’s flock, the people who believe and follow their Maker.

Jesus is referred to as the “chief Shepherd” in 1 Peter 5:4, He calls Himself the “good shepherd” in John 10:11, and He famously told Peter, “Feed my sheep” in John 21:17.

So what happened with the shepherds at the manger scene?

“They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them” (Luke 2:16–18 CSB).

At first glance, this may not seem that important, but with our spiritual eyes and ears open at God speed, the message is staggering. The shepherds represent those who take care of God’s flock of people. They followed divine instructions from a supernatural being (in this case, an angel) and saw the sign of a baby lying in a manger. And what did they do next?

“They reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them” (Luke 2:17–18 CSB).

The shepherds, the caretakers of God’s people, reported the message about the Savior, the true food from heaven who brings eternal life, and all who heard the message were amazed. This event clearly shows us not only the incredible events of that night but also what has been happening since then and will happen again in the future kingdom of God!  (pp. 153-154)

Jesus is referred to as the “chief Shepherd” in 1 Peter 5:4, He calls Himself the “good shepherd” in John 10:11, and He famously told Peter, “Feed my sheep” in John 21:17.

So what happened with the shepherds at the manger scene?

“They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them” (Luke 2:16–18 CSB).

At first glance, this may not seem that important, but with our spiritual eyes and ears open at God speed, the message is staggering. The shepherds represent those who take care of God’s flock of people. They followed divine instructions from a supernatural being (in this case, an angel) and saw the sign of a baby lying in a manger. And what did they do next?

“They reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them” (Luke 2:17–18 CSB).

The shepherds, the caretakers of God’s people, reported the message about the Savior, the true food from heaven who brings eternal life, and all who heard the message were amazed. This event clearly shows us not only the incredible events of that night but also what has been happening since then and will happen again in the future kingdom of God! The shepherds, both then and now, are informing people of the divine message about the true food (Jesus), and those who have their ears open to hear the message are “amazed” at what the shepherds say.

The people are amazed because they’re hearing how they can be saved and receive everlasting life. Yes, it’s very good news when you find out how you can avoid being dead forever! And there’s still more. Don’t forget that God declares the end from the beginning, constantly focusing our attention on the end of the story, letting us know the conclusion of events right from the very start.

So let’s look at the final mention of the shepherds in the account of the birth of Jesus.

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20 CSB).

The Bible text tells us “the shepherds returned.” This may rock your world, because not only is this explaining the events of that night in Bethlehem, but also it is a prophecy for the future when understood at God speed. What I mean is that the shepherds (all leaders of God’s people in this current time) are going to return in the future, to glorify and praise God for all the things they had seen and heard. This return will take place when they are resurrected from the dead and raised to immortal life to instruct people again on how to receive eternal life!

This has been forecast in Scripture, with prophecies from Jeremiah, as God Himself predicted the future time still ahead of us when He would “raise up” shepherds over His people to lead them in the divine way of life.

“I will give you shepherds who are loyal to me, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and skill” (Jeremiah 3:15 CSB).

“I will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous. I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them. They will no longer be afraid or discouraged, nor will any be missing. This is the LORD’s declaration” (Jeremiah 23:3–4 CSB).

Just as Jesus is going to return in the future, so the shepherds will return as well, being literally “raised up” by God out of the ground and given eternal life to “shepherd the people with knowledge and skill.” This is a prophecy about what will be taking place in the kingdom of God, the kingdom which gets into full swing once Jesus returns to Earth.

It gives new meaning to Peter’s instructions to the elders among the New Testament believers, as he gives them the task of shepherds over God’s flock. Read it for yourself:

“Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:2–4 CSB).

It’s perfectly fitting that Peter mentions the unfading crown of glory for these leaders of God’s people, because it was actually embedded in the manger story when the shepherds were listening to the angel of God. As we read previously of the shepherds, “the glory of the Lord shone round about them” (Luke 2:9).

They had a shining, brilliant light surrounding them. This, too, when understood at God speed, is a prediction of how believers will actually have a bright radiance, a crown of light emanating from them in the coming kingdom when they become immortal and divine:

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen” (Matthew 13:43 CSB).

God is going to “raise up” His shepherds from the grave to rule and reign with Him.

“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him….” (Revelation 20:6 CSB).

“And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—He shall rule them with a rod of iron” (Revelation 2:26–27 NKJV).

This is the glorious end to the message of Scripture. The result of everything that has taken place will be the followers of the chief Shepherd being raised up to eternal life, newly born children of God so they can rule and reign with God, instructing other people in a second resurrection that takes place a thousand years after Jesus’s return to Earth.

It is great that Joe Kovacs understands that God’s plan of salvation is not limited to this age.

Anyway, Joe Kovacs sent me an electronic copy of his book and gave me permission to quote from it as well as use the photo of him in this post.

Anyway, he and I have communicated a bit since, which is why I was able to quote as much of his material in this post as I have.

As far as more related to the topic that God has a plan to teach and reach people after the second resurrection, we have a free online book: Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation.

More on the Kingdom of God can be found in our free online booklet: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Some items of related interest may include:

Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
All the Prophets Spoke of Apocatastasis The Apostle Peter said all the prophets spoke about “apokatastasis. Do you know what that is? Watch also ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
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.
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.