Will You be in the First Resurrection?

Is God looking for an excuse to exclude you from his kingdom? Or does he want to grant salvation to you as an heir in his kingdom? And what must you do as you live your life as a Christian, to do your part to assure your place in God’s kingdom when the time of the first resurrection occurs?

“Will You be in the First Resurrection” a message by Rod Reynolds, 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

Question: Wheat or Tare

During his earthly ministry, Jesus often used parables when addressing his audiences. He used parables to illustrate important spiritual principles having to do with the kingdom of God and our relationships with God and with one another. He did not often explain the full meaning of the parables to his audiences, but it wasn’t because he wanted to “hide the meaning,” nor because he was “lying,” as some have imagined. It was because of their hardness of heart. But he did explain the meanings to his closest disciples, whom he told to explain it to others (Matthew 10:27). This is explained in more detail in our article “Does God Lie?

One of the parables of Jesus is the one featuring seeds sown of wheat and tares, lessons from which are explored in this message.

“Question: Wheat or Tare” a message by Rod Reynolds, 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

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.

Messiah and the Throne of David — Part 3

A number of prophecies foretold that the Messiah would become heir to the throne of David (2 Samuel 7:11-13; Psalms 132:11; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:6-7; et al). The Bible identifies, and confirms by its testimony, that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah. and that he, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, would be heir to the throne of David (Luke 1:31-33; Acts 2:30).

The link between David, king of Israel, and Jesus Christ the Messiah is a significant theme in Scripture, and understanding the historical and prophetic link between the two ought to be of interest to any student of the Bible.

David, though human, and one who committed sins and mistakes at times, nevertheless was on the whole faithful to God. David was a great king, under whose rule Israel prospered, and the kingdom of Israel became a great Empire, far more significant than many realize.

“Messiah and the Throne of David — Part 3,” a sermon 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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