How Can You Know the Truth?

We live in a world in which confusion abounds. In every major facet of the world’s society: education, politics, religion, or whatever, contradictions, conflict and confusion prevails. Almost every subject of consequence is controversial these days.

There is a continuous struggle going on for our attention. Whether you realize it or not, your mind is under siege. All kinds of elements, groups, individuals, with a point of view to sell are struggling to capture your mind—attempting to win it over to their point of view. Your mind is constantly being bombarded by conflicting ideas, beliefs and opinions.

Even something as obvious as one’s sex is controversial. Are you male or female? An increasingly popular idea these days is that it’s not your DNA, nor the sex organs you are born with, that determine your sex. It’s whether you “feel” that you are male or female. Confusion about one’s sexual identity is being deliberately sown among even very young children by prevailing forces in our society. We can feel compassion for those who are confused about their sexuality, which often results from abuse or other kinds of mistreatment. But I have a hard time feeling anything but contempt for willful proponents of such confusion.

Paradoxically, in a world where the very idea of objective truth is increasingly under assault, powerful institutions are becoming more and more intolerant of any opinions on controversial matters which do not concur with their own.

Powerful social media companies routinely censor or deplatform those posting material which runs counter to opinions they favor, even though they are supposed to be content neutral platforms. Internet browser algorithms often tend to give preference in their search engine results to websites expressing viewpoints in favor with the left-wing Establishment.

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Love the Truth — Part 1

One of the challenges that we face every day as Christians, to one degree or another, throughout our entire lives, is to love the truth. How much do you love the truth? Do you love it more than your relationships with family and friends? Do you love truth more than you love your physical comforts and pleasures? Do you love it more than you love your own life? Loving the truth is a challenge every generation of God’s people have had to meet. It’s one that will try every Christian. How may we demonstrate our love of the truth in our own lives?

“Love the Truth — Part 1” audio recording by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Two Covenants — Part 3

According to Scripture, the Old Covenant was given to Israel because of transgressions. Or, as the Bible in Worldwide English Version puts it: “Why then was the law [the Old Covenant] made? God gave it… because so many people were doing what was wrong” (Galatians 3:19).

But within that overall framework were at least five major reasons for the giving of the Old Covenant. Understanding what those reasons are will help us understand the mind of God, and can teach us vital lessons in how we, as Christians, or as human beings fit in with what God has in mind for us.

In this message we explore in some detail three major reasons for the giving of the Old Covenant, and how they relate to the New Covenant, and to lessons that relate directly to us and our relationship with God.

“The Two Covenants — Part 3” audio recording by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

God’s Word — Instrument of His Spirit

The word of God and his Spirit are inseparable. Often in the way they are spoken of in the Bible they seem to be virtually synonymous. How may this affect our relationship with God?

“God’s Word — Instrument of His Spirit” audio recording by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Five Benefits From the Holy Spirit

When one enters into a relationship with God under the New Covenant upon repentance and baptism God grants the gift of the Holy Spirit to that person. There are many benefits conferred to those who are given the Holy Spirit. In this message are discussed five benefits that are available through God’s Spirit to those who yield to him and seek to obey his word.

“Five Benefits From the Holy Spirit” audio recording by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.