Author Archives: Rod Reynolds

Rise of the Beast

Posted on by

People the world over will be amazed and marvel as a powerful empire centered in Europe emerges suddenly to dominate the world for a brief period. It’s called the “Beast” in the Bible. It will in turn do the bidding of a powerful system of religion rooted in idolatrous worship, deceiving mankind, and called “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” In this message is discussed some of the background of this system as revealed in the Bible and in the pages of history.

“Rise of the Beast” COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Image from Martin Luther’s 1534 translation of the Bible. This work (the image) is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer. In public domain in the U.S.; published before 1927.

Was Peter the First Pope?

Posted on by

Audacious claims have been made concerning the authority of the Pope. In this message some of these claims, based in part on the idea that the Pope is the successor to Peter as the first “Pope,” are examined in light of Scripture.

“Was Peter the First Pope?” COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

What Does God Require?

Posted on by

The ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah were destroyed because the people were not faithful to their covenant with God. The physical Temple was destroyed multiple times because of unfaithfulness. God is now building his dwelling place, a spiritual temple. What does God require of those involved in that process?

“What Does God Require?” COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Defending the Gospel

Posted on by

Influential skeptics, especially in the past two or three centuries, have spun myths about the Bible, how it was written and compiled, and have lied about its historical accuracy. As a result, many have come to doubt the Bible as historically reliable, and hence dismiss it as a serious guide to life. The increasing lawlessness and amoral behavior endemic in today’s world is partly a consequence of how the message of the gospel has been undermined by an unrelenting campaign aimed at discrediting the record of Holy Scripture.

Historical analysis, archaeology, and epigraphy have gone far to lend support to the veracity of the Bible, which is the gospel, the word of God. Unfortunately unknown to multitudes, time and again the myths and assumptions of the Bible’s critics have proven wrong, as reviewed in this message.

“Defending the Gospel” COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Seek God and Find Him

Posted on by

Azariah the prophet told Asa, king of Judah, “The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you” (II Chronicles 15:2).

What is it that the majority of people in today’s world seek most? It is God? Is it money? Pleasure? I think you know that whatever the correct answer to the question is, it’s not God. Many do their best to hide from God, or even deny that God exists, but relatively few people in today’s world spend much time seriously seeking God.

Perhaps we could ask ourselves, what it is that we seek most. It is God? There are many scriptures that instruct and encourage us to seek God, and tell us what rewards we can expect to receive in doing so. And what does it mean to “seek God”? How does one go about it? The Bible has the answers, which we explore in this message.

“Seek God and Find Him” COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.