Tag Archives: faith

Christian Love, Part 1

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We are instructed in Scripture to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). How can one know if “Jesus Christ is in” himself, or herself? Is there a measuring stick we can use for this purpose? Is it how often we attend church services, or church activities? Is it what church we belong to? Is it Bible knowledge? Or something else?

Jesus said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself'” (Matthew 22:37-39). We are instructed to “walk in love” (Ephesians 5:2). John wrote, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (I John 4:8). We are to strive to become like God (Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:45).

Scripture says, “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (I John 4:16). But merely professing to love God or our neighbors is not enough. We are to love “in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18).

But what is love? How is love defined? Are there specific items we can examine to test how we measure up, and how we can improve? Find answers in this message, as these questions are addressed in some detail, so we may follow the admonitions we are given, and with God’s help, improve our standing before him in terms of love.

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

Smoke Ascends Forever?

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Will the wicked really be tormented forever in hell? In this sermon, pastor Rod Reynolds examines in detail passages in the book of Revelation that have traditionally been used to establish the common belief in a never-ending hellfire reserved for punishment of the wicked. To understand what the Bible says about hell, we must carefully study the context of the scriptures in question.

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

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.

The Foundation of Godly Faith

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Have you considered the question of what is the foundation of your faith? Or what is the proper foundation of godly faith according to Scripture? The faith of many is on a weak or flawed foundation. It may be on a human personality, on false teachings, on confidence in one’s own opinions or rationalizations, on popular opinion, or what others among their friends and aquaintances believe. It may be in an organization, perhaps a Church.

The faith of one who would be a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ must not be founded on any of the things mentioned above.

In our message titled “The Foundation of Godly Faith” by Rod Reynolds is explained clearly from the Scriptures what your faith must be founded on and how having the right foundation is essential to your relationship with God and how it is of benefit to you spiritually, and how you may go about building and maintaining your faith on the proper foundation.

Copyright © 2024 by Messenger Church of God

Creative Commons License
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