God and Money

Can money buy happiness? Many people who have more than enough money live empty, frustrated and miserable lives. But it’s also true that learning to properly manage your money, and keeping it in proper perspective, can add a great deal to
your enjoyment of life.

In this message we explore biblical perspectives and principles regarding money, and how to view and manage money in accordance with instructions from God’s Word.

“God and Money,” presented by Rod Reynolds, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2023 by Messenger Church of God

Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from the New King James VersionTM
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

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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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Messiah and the Throne of David — Part 4

This message continues the series “Messiah and the Throne of David” with a discussion of the reign of Solomon. During his reign the kingdom of Israel reached the apex of its wealth and influence in ancient times as a global “superpower.”

In certain respects the reign of Solomon and Israel’s status at the time is a type of the coming Kingdom of God, when Jesus Christ will rule all nations, the world will enjoy universal peace, and the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

It was only after the end of Solomon’s rule, when the kingdom was divided because of Solomon’s apostasy, that Assyria began to become ascendant in the Mideast, and eventually powerful enough three centuries later to destroy the northern kingdom of Israel and take its inhabitants into a captivity in foreign lands, a precursor to what is prophesied to happen to the unrepentant modern descendants of Israel near the end of this age.

“Messiah and the Throne of David — Part 4,” a sermon by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Truth About Hell

Millions have been taught that according to Scripture God sends “the unsaved” to an “ever-burning hell,” to be tortured for eternity. Yet, the Bible tells us that God is just and merciful.

In reality, the Bible teaches nothing like the commonly accepted ideas about “hell” taught historically by most allegedly Christian Churches, and believed by many, more likely most, who have professed Christianity.

This message explains what the Bible really teaches about “hell,” and how it affects human beings.

“The Truth About Hell,” audio recording by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Why Study the Bible?

King Solomon wrote, “Of making many books there is no end” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). But of all the countless books that have been written, is there any that reliably answers the most fundamental and important questions of life? Why do we exist? What is our nature? Is there a God, and if so, what is God like? What does God expect of us? Can we know the true God? Does God love us? Is there a path that can put an end to violence, unnecessary suffering and sorrow? What happens when we die? Is there a way to eternal life, and if so, what is it?

Believe it or not, there is such a book, a book that has the answers to these questions, and other questions vital to the life of every human. That book is called the Bible. The Bible is unlike any other, and has no equal, because it is God’s revelation to mankind of knowledge that can be found in no other source.

Do you know what the Bible says? Have you read it? Have you studied the Bible diligently to learn what God wants you to know? Why study the Bible? In this article you will find answers to this question of vital importance to every human being.

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