Early in the year according to the commonly accepted civil calendar (the Gregorian calendar), a strange custom called “Mardi Gras” or “Carnival” is observed widely in allegedly “Christian” nations. What is the origin of this weird festival, and is it truly Christian in nature? Continue reading
Category: Articles
The History of Apostasy, Part 1
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Published January 19, 2019
Apostasy is the opposite of Godly faith. Apostasy is a false faith that produces disobedience to God and his commandments. In this sermon, Rod Reynolds discusses the historical record of apostasy against God. Understanding what has happened in the past can help us avoid the same mistakes in the future. And it can also help us to better understand the prophecies of the future and what to expect in days leading up to the return of Jesus Christ.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
“The History of Apostasy, Part 1” by Messenger Church of God released under a Creative Commons [CC BY-ND 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/)]License:
How Will the World Be Different When Christ Returns? (Part 1)
For approximately the past 6000 years, since mankind rebelled in the Garden of Eden, the earth has been under the curse of Satan’s rule. Satan has not ruled without restraint. God has remained supreme over the universe, including the earth, but to a large extent he has allowed Satan to influence mankind. And Satan, within certain parameters, has remained, as referred to in 2 Corinthians 4:4, and other Scriptures, as the “god of this age,” or of this world.
The result of Satan’s influence has been a history of oppression, warfare, famines, widespread poverty, deception, ignorance, disease, crime, and other evils that have plagued mankind. What the world needs is a new kind of government, a government not of Satan, nor of men, but of God, the benevolent Creator, and author of every blessing, including life itself (James 1:17-25; Acts 17:24-25). The time when that new government appears may not be far off, although no one on earth knows for certain the exact time when it will happen (Matthew 24:30-36).
How that future world will be different is the exciting and greatly encouraging subject of a planned series of articles, of which this is the first.
Can Anything be Done About the Weather?
There is a God in Heaven who has blessed us as a nation. We’ve enjoyed unprecedented wealth, conveniences and power over the past 200+ years; blessings of produce, crops, and livestock – all dependent on favorable weather. Nations that suffer prolonged periods of drought, a succession of devastating floods, weather that is unseasonably cool for too long, or widespread disruptive weather events such as hurricanes will suffer in lost agricultural production, and even famine and ruin in extreme cases. In this sermon, pastor Rod Reynolds addresses the question, can anything be done about the weather?
Copyright © 2018 by Rod Reynolds
“Can Humans Change the Weather” by Messenger Church of God released under a Creative Commons [CC BY-ND 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/)]License:
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Wentzville, MO 63385
USA
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Thirst For Living Water
Without water you can’t live. In fact, your physical body consists largely of water. And the supply of water in your body must be constantly replenished for you to thrive. Usually we rely on our sense of thirst to tell us when and how much water to drink. Sometimes, however, for various reasons, our sense of thirst may fail us. And when that happens individuals may become sick or even die from dehydration. At other times, people may thirst, but seek to satisfy their thirst with impure water that, either slowly or quickly, produces disease and death. Do you thirst for living water, pure, flowing, abundant and life-giving?
The Spirit of God is analogous to water. “On the last day of the Festival–the great day–Jesus stood up and cried aloud. ‘Whoever is thirsty,’ He said, ‘let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, from within him–as the Scripture has said–rivers of living water shall flow.’ He referred to the Spirit which those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not bestowed as yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:37-39, Weymouth translation).