Who Are the Nicolaitans?

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.

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USA

Did Jesus Fulfill the Law?

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?

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

Binding and Loosing, Part 2

The idea that God gives to some individual or individuals unrestrained authority to make judgments that only he can make concerning salvation, condemnation, and matters of doctrine and law, reward and punishment, has been a cause of unbounded confusion and immense injustice for vast numbers of people.

What did Jesus mean when he said, “…whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”? Indeed, did he even say such a thing?

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Messenger Church of God
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Wentzville, MO 63385
USA

How Important Is Doctrine?

Have you given any thought to the question of how important is doctrine to the life of a Christian? Should we be all that concerned about the doctrines taught by the Church we fellowship with? Or is “Church” to be more of a social club where doctrine takes a back seat, and is more or less irrelevant? Does doctrine cause division? And if so, does that mean we should disdain doctrine? How does doctrine affect one’s relationship with God? What is the connection between doctrine and the Holy Spirit? What is the responsibility of the ministry, and of each individual member, with regard to doctrine? It’s very clear from the what the Bible has to say that having the correct understanding about doctrine is of vital importance to anyone who wants to be a Christian as the Bible defines a Christian.

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

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Will Politicians Save Us?

A nation’s character, as the Bible makes clear, has a lot to do with its prosperity, happiness, and ultimate destiny. And this applies not only to nations, but the world as a whole. What can we do as a people to avoid catastrophe? What difference can the right kind of leadership make? And what does the Bible tell us about the ultimate solutions to the problems we face?

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

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