Make Your Calling and Election Sure

Scripture warns of perilous times to come in the “last days” of this age (2 Timothy 3:1-5). We need to be prepared spiritually to meet the challenges we face in an age of increasing lawlessness and conflict (1 Peter 1:3-11).

We are warned by Jesus Christ not to let ourselves become spiritually lethargic, lukewarm, lacking in zeal (Revelation 3:14-19). While we do not know the precise time of the second coming of Christ, we should be able to discern the signs of the times we live in (Matthew 16:3). We cannot afford to allow complacency to cause us to stumble as the world becomes ever more hostile to and removed from genuine reverence toward God, and respect for his commandments.

In this message trends in the world are reviewed, and we consider encouragement and admonitions from the Bible to help us make our calling and election sure (cf 2 Peter 1:10).

“Make Your Calling and Election Sure,” a sermon by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2023 Messenger Church of God

cogmessenger.org

Messenger Church of God
PO Box 619
Wentzville, MO 63385
USA

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.

Continue reading

Love the Truth — Part 2

Scripture instructs us to love the truth (Zechariah 8:19). We are warned that we are subject to being deceived if we do not “receive the love of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Further, we’re told that God hates lying, and hates lies (Proverbs 6:17, 19). The punishment of eternal death awaits those who persist in lying and will not repent (Revelation 21:8). In this message are discussed additional points related to the subject, “love the truth.”

See also “Love the Truth — Part 1”

The Two Covenants — Part 7

Can one become a party to the New Covenant merely by “confessing the name of Christ?” Does one have to be a member of this or that particular church organization or body to be party to the New Covenant? Is the Covenant individual or collective? How long is the Covenant to remain effective? Once entered into, can it be broken? These questions must be answered if we are to know where we stand before God and with relation to His Covenant.

“The Two Covenants — Part 7” audio recording by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Two Covenants — Part 6

When God entered into the Old Covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai he told them that if they would obey his voice, his commandments, they would be to him “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). They agreed to the terms of the covenant, saying “All that the Lord has spoken we will do” (Exodus 19:8). But the Old Covenant failed, and a new covenant was to be established to fulfill the plan of God for mankind. Why did the Old Covenant fail? What was missing? And how is what was missing in the Old Covenant accounted for in the New Covenant, so God’s purpose may be fulfilled?

And, does the replacing of the Old Covenant with the New free us, as many believe, from the obligation to obey God’s voice? His commandments?

“The Two Covenants — Part 6” audio recording by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.