In our Update #479 (dated 11th February 2011; Q&A: “Are You God’s True Church?”), the specific question was asked: “Every splinter group or offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God claims to be God’s true Church. What do you say of yourselves?”

The answer concluded with this statement: “We believe that we are part of the Church of God—the body of Christ—which is a spiritual organism. We do NOT believe that we are the ONLY group comprising the Church of God. At the same time, we would like to encourage you to study our literature in order to determine whether we belong to the remnant of the Philadelphia era, or whether we are part of the church of the Laodiceans. You may want to review our Statement of Beliefs at: www.eternalgod.org; www.churchofgodacf.ca; www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk; and www.aufpostenstehen.de.”

Some believe that the Bible teaches that at the time of Noah, angelic beings produced giants through sexual intercourse with women. In fact, this belief is wide-spread and sometimes referred to as the “most controversial concept” in the entire Bible. Proponents refer for proof to Genesis 6:1-4. This passage reads:

“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose… there were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”

Barring extraordinary circumstances, such as health issues or very long distance, which would prevent us from attending Church services, the answer is clearly yes. Not to attend Church services because of lack of convenience or interest is clearly sinful in the eyes of God. And if in doubt, it is always better to attend than to use “excuses” for not attending.

In Hebrews 10, Paul sets forth in no uncertain terms the duty of Church members to attend Church services in person and warns that constant neglect might lead to committing the unpardonable sin: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering… And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,  NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, as is the manner of some… For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation  of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:23-27).

Since angels are still free moral agents, even though created and composed of spirit, could they still sin and rebel against God? Or, could some demons still repent and become righteous? And what will happen to Satan and those demons who will not and therefore cannot repent and change?

These are interesting questions, and even though the Bible may not give us total and complete answers in each case, there are in fact several references and hints in Scripture which might allow us to reach certain conclusions.

In our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” we are addressing the possibility that some very few angels could still “fall” and become demons. One such Scripture can be found in 1 Kings 22, which reads:

“Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, ‘Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?’ And he answered him, ‘Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king!’ So the king said to him, ‘How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?’ Then he said, ‘I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, “These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.”’ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?’

During one of His most famous discourses, Jesus Christ states with utmost clarity that love is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-40). Since we have the instruction and command to love, it is vitally important that we know what love is. How do you know if you have the love that God expects you to have? What qualities does an expression of love have? In what ways is love expressed? These questions are basic, but fundamental to the life of a Christian.

The first thing to consider is that there are different types of love. The Greek language makes this distinction with different words. Since the New Testament was originally written in Greek, the types of love that we may express can be distinguished easily, and guide our understanding about what type of love God expects of us. Before getting into the qualities of what an expression of love is, we need to know what different types of love the Bible mentions, and in what context. The Greek language contains 3 main words that can be translated into the English word “love.” These words each express a distinct nuance of love including sexual love between husband and wife (eros), friendship (philia), and moral or spiritual love (agape). Some also consider the Greek word “storge” to express a kind of love, such as that affectionate and nurturing love that a parent has for his or her child. “Storge” does not appear in the Bible, and is less commonly considered when distinguishing between types of love in the Greek language. Therefore, it will not be necessary to discuss it in depth as we reveal the essence of love. In order to express the true love that God requires of a Christian, one must learn how to distinguish between these types of love. Only by discerning the ways that love may be expressed can a Christian understand how to properly express love towards one another, and towards God.

This pivotal Scripture does indeed reveal that God gives His Holy Spirit by measure to some. However, in the case of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit of God the Father dwelt in Him without measure from conception to fulfill His mission—the work given to Him by the Father. It is important to understand this verse […]

In the previous installment, we discussed Simon Magus and other historical forerunners of the end-time “false prophet.” In this final installment, we will point out the biblical revelations about the false prophet who will manifest himself soon on the world scene, as well as the final destiny of the religious system that he represents.

We have seen that the last seven revivals of the ancient Roman Empire constituted a collaboration between religion (the Roman Catholic Church) and state (the political empires under military leaders), while the first three revivals of the ancient Roman Empire were not supported by the Catholic faith. The false prophet will be the end-time leader or last pope of the Catholic Church.

We read in Revelation 16:13-14 that an unclean spirit or demon will come out of the mouth of the false prophet who will perform signs to affect the kings of the whole world. Revelation 19:20 confirms that the false prophet will work signs in the presence of the beast, deceiving those who receive the mark of the beast. Ultimately, the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire, when Christ returns (Revelation 20:10).

In the previous installment, we discussed the biblical revelations about the religious organization that the “false prophet” will represent. We have seen that the last seven revivals of the ancient Roman Empire constituted a collaboration between religion (the Roman Catholic Church) and state (the political empires under military leaders), while the first three revivals of the ancient Roman Empire were not supported by the Catholic faith.

In this installment, we will address historical forerunners of the end-time “false prophet”—including Simon Magus.

The Greek word for false prophet is pseudoprophetes. According to Strong #5578, this word means, “a spurious prophet, i.e. pretended foreteller or religious impostor (cp. #5571 – pseudes = deceitful, false, liar and #4396 – prophetes = a foreteller, by analogy an inspired speaker).”

In previous installments, we showed that the final resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire has already begun in Europe. We saw that core member states of Europe—ten nations or groups of nations—will unify and give their power and authority to a charismatic political personage—the “beast” (Revelation 17:12-13), who will work together with a religious figure, called “the false prophet.”

In this installment, we will discuss the biblical revelations about the religious organization that the “false prophet” will represent. A future installment will address the “false prophet” himself—also in light of historic forerunners.

We have seen that the last seven revivals of the ancient Roman Empire constituted a collaboration between religion (the Roman Catholic Church) and state (the political empires under military leaders), while the first three revivals of the ancient Roman Empire were not supported by the Catholic faith.

In the last installment, we began discussing some of the characteristics of the beast (a future charismatic political and military leader ruling ten nations or groups of nations in Europe, compare Revelation 17:12-13, 17) and important aspects associated with him. We saw that he will be worshipped as a god; that he will blaspheme God and that he will persecute the saints who do not accept his mark, his name and the number of his name, which is 666.

In this installment, we will continue pointing out some interesting facts which will identify the coming beast.

In Revelation 16:10, 13-14, we are specifically told that the beast has a throne and a kingdom, and that he will be demon-possessed. It is also revealed that a demon possessing the beast will perform signs. We also read in verse 14 that the false prophet, a religious leader, will likewise be possessed by a demon who performs signs. Furthermore, the dragon, Satan the devil, will send forth a powerful demon who will work lying signs and wonders. Revelation 19:19-20 adds that the beast, in collaboration with the false prophet, will lead the armies of the world to fight against the returning Jesus Christ and His angels.