Author Archives: Rod Reynolds

Who Are the Nicolaitans?

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Jesus said he hates the “the deeds of the Nicolaitans” (Revelation 2:6). He also said to the church in Pergamos, “you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate” (Revelation 2:15).

Who are the Nicolaitans? What are their deeds that Jesus Christ hates? What is their doctrine, that Jesus Christ also hates? How might these questions affect us? The answers to these questions should be of vital interest to us, as we are specifically warned about them, and they are spiritual cancers which not only exist outside the Church, but which according to Jesus Christ at times insidiously infects the Church of God itself.

Copyright © 2024 by Messenger Church of God

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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

Feast of Trumpets: Christ as Judge

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There are many facets to what is pictured by the Feast of Trumpets. Very prominent in what is pictured by that day is that God is a judge – that Jesus Christ, when He returns to the earth is returning in judgement. In this sermon, Pastor Rod Reynolds discusses some of the prophecies concerning Christ’s judgement on the earth, and the principles relating to the manner in which Christ judges.

Copyright © 2024 by Messenger Church of God

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

cogmessenger.org

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

Did Jesus Fulfill the Law?

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The Apostle Paul warned that “in the last days perilous times will come” (II Timothy 3:1). Jesus warned that as the time for his second coming approaches “because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). Certainly we are living today in increasingly “perilous times,” and witnessing increasingly pervasive lawlessness of historical proportions.

Unfortunately, popular “Christianity,” while historically having some moderating influence on the natural human tendancy toward lawlessness, and encouraging moral restraint, has at the same time tended to encourage lawlessness through erroneous teachings regarding the laws of God. One rather common misunderstanding is the idea that Jesus “fulfilled the law” for us, so we don’t have to, although the idea may not necessarily be stated in such stark terms.

This has been by no means necessarily a teaching of all professing Christian Churches or ministers, but is nevertheless a misunderstanding among many who view themselves as Christians, that has been fostered at least partly by doctrines taught within their churches.

What is the real meaning of Jesus’ statement concerning fulfilling the law, and how does that affect your obligations concerning God’s word?

Copyright © 2024 by Messenger Church of God

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

cogmessenger.org

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

Why Four Gospels?

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Have you ever wondered why there are four “gospels,” or four accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in the New Testament? Actually, there is a significance to this fact that many are not aware of.

Each of the gospel accounts, as they are called, has a particular bearing on the nature of God, Jesus Christ, and God’s government, and on the kingdom of God destined to be established in the future on this earth. The gospel accounts provide insight into major aspects of the nature and character of the government of God that will be established on the earth and of the one who is to be at it’s head, Jesus Christ. The Father has set Jesus Christ “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And he put all things under his feet…” (Ephesians 1:21-22).

The gospels are about Jesus Christ the Messiah, the King, who is at the head of a government that will one day rule all nations and will encompass the entire world. And even beyond that it’s a government that has authority over all creation, everything that exists whether physical or spiritual. The gospels are a message about both the king and the kingdom. They are about what kind of ruler he is and what kind of government he will administer.

Copyright © 2024 by Messenger Church of God

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

cogmessenger.org

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

What Are True Values?

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Not infrequently in public discourse we hear the word “values” mentioned. Many of the issues we face as a nation and a world boil down to a question of values. For example, the questions of abortion, human rights, women’s rights, homosexual rights, religious expression, family, out of control government spending and national debt? Do these issues have anything to do with values?

Nearly every political and social issue you can name touches on the personal values of citizens and the public values of the nation. There is a sense among many people that the United States, as well as other nations, has abandoned sound values and that fact accounts for many of the problems the nation faces, along with the world in general.

The profound changes that have occurred in recent decades in the nation’s values are seen reflected in pathologies such as the dramatic increase in out ­of ­wedlock births, incidence of drug abuse, proliferation of pornography and social changes such as legalization of abortion, same-sex “marriage,” dramatic increases in criminal activity, and many other aspects of personal behavior and public life.

What are values? Are values important, and if so why? Does it matter what your values are? Finally, what are the “true values”? The Bible has answers to the question of values that may surprise you.