These articles are taken from many contributors who will be acknowledged in the articles. If no such acknowledgement is given it will mean that we have written the article in question or we do not know who the original writer was. If you have any particular subject matter you would like covered please contact us with the subject, question or comment. All research material for these articles are taken directly from the scriptures, usually the King James version as this version is probably the most available version to all readers, unless otherwise stated. .

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The Birth Date of Jesus

The birthdate of Jesus seems to be very contentious indeed. Scholars disagree widely on the date of his birth. Does it make any difference what the date was when Jesus was born? Not really, as the most important thing is that Jesus was born. Without his birth we would have no redeemer; no sacrifice could have been applied to mankind as restitution for the sins of our first parents Adam and Eve. Having said that, to those who want evidence that the Bible truly is inspired of God (2 Timothy 3:16,17) then determining the scriptural chronology of this event will support all other biblical chronology.

Many believe that Jesus was born in the year 4 BC but as we will see this date is incorrect by 2 years. The scriptures will prove that Jesus was born late September or early October in the year 2 BC. There will be a number of steps that will be taken. Our first step is determining the age of John the Baptist when he first started his preaching. John and Jesus were both Jews and therefore subject to Jewish law. Jewish law states that men between the ages of 30 and 50 years of age could serve the congregation of God (Numbers 4:3). The time that John began his work of preaching of the coming Messiah is well documented at Luke 3:1 which shows that in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius, John started this work (see verse 3). The predecessor of Tiberius was Augustus Caesar who died in the year 14 AD. (britannica.com, Wikipedia, history.com) the same year his successor Tiberius started his reign as Caesar. The date of the 15th year of his reign would be 14 AD (his 1st year) + 15 years leading us to the year 29 AD (14 + 15). The year 29 AD is the year that John was 30 years of age. John was 6 months older than Jesus. Luke 1:24-31 says that in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy (the mother of John and cousin of Mary, see verse 36) the angel Gabriel was sent to Mary informing her that she was to be blessed by God in carrying Jesus to his birth. At this point we can determine an approximate year of the birth of Jesus. If John was 30 in the year 29 AD then he must have been born at some time in the year 2 BC. Jesus would have been born sometime in that year or shortly after it.

Jesus was also 30 in the same year 29 AD (Luke 3:21). This point will be proved in the next step – the date of Christ's death. According to a prophecy in Daniel 9:23-27 it indicates that Christ’s preaching and teaching work would last 3-1/2 years from his baptism, then he would be cut off (put to death). This helps us to determine roughly the year of his death which would be some time in 33 AD. We know that Christ died on a Friday (Mark 15:42) the day before the Sabbath. We also know that Jesus was celebrating the Passover with his twelve apostles (Mark 14:12), which according to Jewish law is Nisan 14 using the Jewish calendar. The only date that Nisan 14 fell on a Friday was in the year 33 AD (Nisan 14th falling on a Friday is not a common occurrence) The nearest other available years would be 30 AD and 36 AD, which could not be correct. According to our calendar (Gregorian) Friday, Nisan 14 in the year 33 AD falls on April 3rd 33 AD. Christ died April 3rd 33 AD.

TTo find the birth of Jesus we just need to go back 33-1/2 years from April 3rd 33 AD. We'll start by going back just 6 months, so after that we are working in whole years. 6 months earlier than April 3rd 33 AD is October 3rd 32 AD. Jesus was 33 at this date. Going back 31 years from October 3rd 32 AD takes us to October 3rd 1 AD. Jesus was 2 years of age on this date. Going back 1 year from October 3rd 1 AD takes us to October 3rd 1 BC (remember there is no year 0) on which date Jesus celebrated his 1st birthday. Going back 1 year to the time of his birth would be October 3rd 2 BC. Due to the changes from the Jewish calendar to the Julian calendar, then our current Gregorian calendar, a few days may have been lost or added. What we can say for certain is - Jesus was born late September to early October in the year 2 BC with scriptural certainty.

What then is being celebrated on December 25th - Christmas Day? Jewish tradition did not celebrate the birth of a child but the conception of the child. See the history of early mankind in Genesis chapter 5 where it talks of begetting (the conception) of a child rather than the birth, also shown in Matthew Chapter 1. Jesus being born in October and being carried by Mary for 9 months would mean that Gabriel visited Mary around January in the year 2 BC. Around December 21/22 was and still is being celebrated as the winter solstice (the shortest day) in the Northern hemisphere and it seems that the celebration of the conception of Jesus was applied on this date..

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Mankind's History

There are many views from many scholars on the length of mankind’s history. All seem to have mankind’s development to span hundreds of thousands of years, if not millions. It seems that there is no trustworthy reliable source. Each piece of evidence in support of science discovered one year is later disproved by the same field of science in later years. Is there any available reliable trustworthy source showing the historical development of mankind?

We believe yes, there is a trustworthy reliable source - God's Word - the Bible. Secular history can be traced back to the first year of Cyrus as 536 BC following the release from captivity of the Jewish people in the year 538 BC. 536 BC is the year that Cyrus, also known as Cyrus the Great, made a proclamation that the city of Jerusalem be re-built. At this time the Jewish nation was allowed to return back to Judah. Some did return to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. 536 BC was the first year of the self-appointed reign of Cyrus the Great over Babylon. ('The Return' by Betty Banasak, Wikipedia (Cyrus the Great) encyclopedia Britannica, et al). We now know when the proclamation went forth to re-build Jerusalem - in the year 536 BC. The reason this date is so important will become apparent shortly. From this date secular history is either absent or not reliable.

Now we'll start with the creation of Adam and prove all dates up to 536 BC. First the time period between the creation of Adam and the birth of Arphaxed (who was born 2 years after the flood) was 1,656 years . (See Genesis 5:3-29 and Genesis 11: 10.) Between the birth of Arphaxad (the son of Shem) and the death of Terah (the father of Abram later known as Abraham) was 427 years.

Our next step is from the death of Terah to the giving of the Law. This is to the giving of the Mosaic Law, which in part was made up of what we call the Ten Commandments. Before moving on we need to understand what the Abrahamic Covenant is. The Abrahamic Covenant was a promise that God made with Abram (Abraham) that if he (Abram) would leave the land he was then residing in and move to another land, which he would be guided to, a great nation would be developed through his heirs. (Genesis 12:1, 2) That land was Canaan. This promise or covenant would be ratified or brought into force as soon as he (Abram) entered the land of Caanan. Abram started his journey. His wife Sarai, his aged father Terah and his nephew Lot, went along with him, sharing his faith in God's promise. Terah died along the way in Haran or Charan (different names for the same land) just before entering into Canaan. "When his father was dead he removed him into this land wherein ye now dwell. (Canaan)" (Acts 7:4) The Covenant was now ratified as soon as Abram entered into Canaan. So we now have a date for the start of the Covenant (the death of Terah).

Paul tells us that between the ratification of the Abrahamic Covenant (at Terah's death) and the commencement of the law or Law Covenant was 430 years. (Galatians 3:17) The Israelites stayed, some in Canaan and some in Egypt (in Egypt under bondage for most of their time there). Near the end of the 430 years most were gathered in Egypt in preparation for their Exodus. The night of their exodus they prepared a meal of a lamb and spread the blood on the door pillars so the angels of death would pass over them. This Passover was observed by all the children of Israel in their generations. (Exodus 12:42) This was the beginning of the Law Covenant given to Moses and Aaron (commonly called the Mosaic Law.) see Exodus 12:43-51. Now we have a further period of scriptural evidence, 430 years towards a complete history of mankind.

Our next period of time covers the period between the Exodus from Egypt and the dividing the land when they (Israelites) entered Canaan having passed through the wilderness. This period of time is a little longer than the generally held belief that the Israelites wandered through the wilderness for 40 years. This period also includes around 6 years when they reached Canaan in a few battles and the gaining of the land. We will still scripturally determine this period of time by breaking down the journey into two parts. First, the time taken from the Israelites leaving Egypt and arriving at Kadesh-barnea in the wilderness of Paran which was 1 year 1 month and 5 days. This is taken from the date they left Rameses in Egypt "And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month;" (Numbers 33:3) and the time they arrived in the wilderness of Paran was "And it came to pass on the twentieth [day] of the second month, in the second year," (Numbers 10:11,12) it was Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 13:26). It was at Kadesh that we start our second period of time. At Kadesh Moses sent 12 men to spy the land of Canaan, one of these men was known as Caleb. The time spent spying out the land was 40 days. (Numbers 13:3-26) After they returned from spying Canaan the Israelites continued their journey through various wildernesses until they finally reached Canaan from the north west border and eventually started the division of the land between the twelve tribes. Here we hear the words of Caleb from the tribe of Judah when applying for his portion of the division of the land. He states that he was 40 years of age when he was sent to spy out the land at Kadesh and now having been kept alive and well by God for the last 45 years he is now 85 years of age. (Joshua 14:7-10). So now we know the time period between the Exodus from Egypt to the division of the Land in Canaan being the 1 year 1 month and 5 days up to spying the land and 45 years from there to the division, a total of 46 years.

Our next period of time towards the fixed reliable secular date of 536 BC is the time period that the Israelites were governed by Judges. The period of the Judges extends from the division of the land at Canaan to the anointing of King Saul, the first King to rule the Israelites. This period would be impossible to determine because at times there were no Judges and other times the Judge was appointed for various periods. Knowing that this period would be important concerning mankind’s history God made sure that this time period would be made known. The apostle Paul speaks of it at Acts 13:19, 20 - where he says "And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. And after that he gave [unto them] judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet." Samuel was the last Judge appointed, then they (Israelites) wanted Kings and God gave them Saul as their first king. (Acts 13:21) The period of Judges is 450 years. The next period is the period of the Kings. To determine this period you just add up all the years that each King reigned. The list can be found: for Saul Acts 13:21 and all the following Kings at 1 Chronicles 29:27 then 2 Chronicles 9:30, 12:13, 13:2, 16:13, 20:31, 21:20, 22:2,22:12, 24:1, 25:1, 26:3, 27:1, 28:1, 29:1, 33:1, 33:21, 34:1, 36:5, 36:11, a total period of 513 years.

This last King, Zedekiah saw the fall of Jerusalem and the period of captivity in Babylon or desolation. This period lasted 70 years, then their freedom by Cyrus in the year 536 BC. From here we can rely on secular history. At this stage we can determine the number of years elapsed between the creation of Adam and the end of desolation for the Israelites (536 BC) by adding all the period that are emboldened;

Creation of Adam to the birth of Arphaxed = 1,656 years.
Between birth of Arphaxed and the death of Terah = 427 years.
Death of Terah to the Giving of the Law at the Exodus = 430 years
From the Exodus to the Division of the land in Canaan = 46 years.
The period of the Judges = 450 years.
Period of the Kings = 513 years.
Period of Desolation = 70 years.
Total of 3,592 years

Adding 536 years to the total years will bring us to 1 AD, making a total of 128 years, following the creation of Adam. This article is written in the early 2020 AD and that is 6,148 years since the creation of Adam (4128 being years between creation and 1 AD + 2020 the year of writing).

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Resurrection of Mankind

There are only two positions that we can take; we can believe that we were created or we can believe that we are the product of an accident. If we believe the former then, there is much more we can share together regarding the purposes that we were created for. If on the other hand you believe in the latter then why bother learning anything because at the end of your walk here on earth there's nothing for you, according to your belief. The latter thought, of course is false, whatever we believe we were in fact created with a future ahead of us. It doesn't matter whether you are Christian or not, it doesn't matter whether you believe in a God or not, everyone with very few exceptions will have the opportunity to live forever, here on earth.

Before we look at the scriptural evidence that mankind will live forever here on earth we need to de-bunk the false idea that there is not enough room here on earth for everyone who has ever lived, to be resurrected back on earth. The total land mass of the earth is 57,268,900 square miles which is just 29% of the earth's surface. The other 71% is 139,668,500 square miles of water. The total land mass of the United States of America is 3,797,000 square miles. (world.bymap.org) The total population of the world as of January 2020 is 7,760,187,620. (World population clock - worldometers.info/world-population/). The areas given are land mass areas and do not include water areas. So given that the land mass stays as it is the entire past population and current population would have plenty of room.

According to the Population Reference Bureau Washington DC (prb.org) the total number of people ever born since time began in the year 2050 will be 113,107,187,799 which would give everybody ever born throughout all history 14,115 square feet. Of course this assumes that God does not increase the land mass area by returning the water canopy as it was before the flood and that everybody resurrected will be willing to accept God's ways. Unfortunately some will not. Now to the subject of the Resurrection.

The resurrection is not to be just understood as the resurrection of the dead back to human life but to also include the restitution of mankind back to our Heavenly Father, the Creator. Isaiah 26:19 speaks of the earth casting out it's dead, he himself believed that he would be among those that will arise from the dead. Jesus himself said that the hour will come "which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice" (John 5:28). In verse 25 Jesus again says "...the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God". The resurrection is not just for Christians but for all mankind, believers or not, for Jesus willingly died for all (1 Timothy 2:5,6) Paul also told us that God wants all men (mankind) to be saved but, not saved alone but also come to an accurate knowledge. (1 Timothy 2:4) The apostle Paul states that "If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen; and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain;...then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept;...for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:13-22).

Many believe that the resurrection is to a heavenly home and not here on earth, but they are misled. True some will go to heaven, in the scriptures that is the first resurrection meaning before the resurrection of the many. There are two resurrections, one a heavenly one and the other an earthly one. (See article "Two Resurrections") We are told that God's original plan (which is still in force) was for mankind to live on earth forever. Think back to the reason that Adam and Eve were removed from the 'Garden of Eden' and forcibly kept out. Some may say that it was because they had sinned, but the punishment for their sinning was death. Genesis 3:22 where it says "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:" So we can see that, in order to prevent man from returning and eating from the tree of life and thus living for as long as they continued to eat from that type of tree, whether a sinner or not God physically prevented thier return.

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The LGBTQ Community

A question recently asked was - "Is the LGBTQ movement pleasing to God?"

Ever since 1969, the month June has been designated the "LGBTQ Pride Month." During this month, the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Questioning community are covered liberally in the news and are applauded and promoted throughout the entertainment industry, especially in the western hemisphere. In consequence, many Christians are puzzled as to how to react or respond to such activities even questioning the approvability of the individuals themselves in the eyes of God. What does the Bible teach as to such activities? "Should we make a place for the LGBTQ community in our church?" "Is the LGBTQ lifestyle a sin?" "Does God love the LGBTQs?"

Today's world deems it socially unacceptable to criticize certain lifestyles regardless of what God's views are. The only place we can determine the thoughts of God, His likes and dislikes are to be found in the scriptures. No other book informs us of God's Views. The popular message of our day is: “Be true to yourself”, live up to whatever standard "feels right," and labels as bigots those who wish to uphold God's directives. Today we find ourselves surrounded by those who place their rights above all else, who boast of their outspoken views and constantly telling all of their right to have them. We find that it is common to blame others for our own mis-deeds, preferring fighting with weapons rather than words. It is not uncommon that the law-abiding God fearing person becomes an outcast. Just as a GPS system in your vehicle tells you when you have arrived at a particular place so to, do the conditions we find today point to a particular place in the history of mankind. God through the apostle Paul tells us that these very conditions you find today are indeed pointing to "the last days" (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Not the end of anything but the "last days" of a system that is corrupt, and ungodly. Many, outwardly seem to have a great love for God, have a great knowledge of Him but can't seem to subdue to His requirements. It seems that they have a greater love for their own needs rather than those of God. (Romans 10: 2,3)

However, it is not the role of a Christian to put right or interfere with the thoughts and actions of others. This could very well lead to unwanted counter-actions which would prove non-productive and may close doors that you were trying to open. It is the role of the true followers of God to teach His Truth, even when it is not popular. But sadly, in an effort to be progressive and appeal to all, some churches have condoned behavior which is strictly forbidden in the Bible. We are warned that we are being deceived when we are being taught that many of the approved actions of today are approved of by God. We are told that God loves a sinner, but I'm never told the scripture that says that. It is perfectly true God gave His Only Begotten Son for all sinners, but according to Romans 10: 9-13 all sinners must repent, turn around from and stop all actions of wrong doing according to God's Word and accept the teaching of Christ in our hearts. (1 John 1:9 also 1 John 3: 6-10)

Many churches today, are turning a blind eye to all manner of what God calls unholy practices such as unwed couples living together, adultery and homosexuality, along with many other practices that have been accepted as standard practices today. Thus, they leave the door wide open to society's norms, inviting the LGBTQ community to teach a "new normal." Misguided Christian ministers preach that "God is love" — that God welcomes all people no matter the lifestyle they wish to maintain. Has God's Word then changed? Does God change with the shifts in society's values? (Malachi 3:6) God sets before us in His Word clear moral absolutes. We are admonished throughout the Scriptures to “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” Therefore, if we are to be advocates of God’s Word, our love for others must include teaching what is right and wrong in the eyes of our Creator. 1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 5:14

Is the "New Norm" Really Normal?

The Bible teaches that God created fixed sexes — male and female. (Genesis 1:27, 28) Shall we set aside what God has so obviously set in order? Any variance from this orderly arrangement He considers as abnormal — thus we see the advancing degradation of human behavior originating from father Adam's disobedience. This does not mean that everyone who is LGBTQ is a bad person or that they should be treated unkindly or disrespectfully; nor should they be discriminated against in the world's community. Most of these individuals are very fine people — valuable and productive members of society. But, if the Word of God is to be respected above society's norms, we must understand that if they want to be members of the Christian community, they need to recognize their lifestyle is at variance with God's natural arrangement and therefore is displeasing to Him, and they need to "abstain from" misguided "fleshly lusts."

Science and Medicine does indicate that a person's chemistry may have many bad effects upon a person personality. It can cause anything from mood swings to murder, it may cause criminal activities ranging from shop lifting to armed robbery. It has also been expounded that a child can learn and be affected by their environment, sometimes to the good and sometimes to the bad. All too often those in most need of God's Word, God's Truth do not or will not make themselves available to it. This is not always a deliberate action on their parts but caused because they have been deceived. Often deceived by those who should know better, deceived in believing that God loves all sinners, deceived in the believe that you will change and call upon Christ on your death bed. All this is deception. God has all of mankind to have free will. Free will to accept His ways or to accept the ways of others. "But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when the lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1: 14,15) Notice how many steps has to be taken before you sin, at any point we can break the cycle and stop. True sometimes we need to ask for God's help because we can't always have the initial strength to stop.

In God's Kingdom which is close at hand, His great love for humanity will be demonstrated by restoring order on the earthly the removal of the governmental and religious systems of today. God wants all of mankind to be saved but He also wants all mankind to come to an accurate knowledge. (1Timothy 2:3-6) Christians cannot expect to regulate the outside world's behavior, but should make every effort to set the example of righteousness to the world. What IS expected of ALL who enter into Christian circles is to make every effort to transform sinful lifestyles into that which is pleasing to God. God does love the sinner, but He does not condone sin. Another way to put this is that God sees the potential in each one — the person they could become if they would allow themselves to be transformed. (Romans 12:2) One of the most important things, in walking towards God is that there should be a concerted effort, with prayer for guidance, to put away sin. All those wishing to transform their lives and put away sinful behavior will be welcomed into true Christian Fellowship and be encouraged in the right paths to walk. Matthew 7:13 “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands... purify your hearts...” (James 4:8)

For a Christian it will be very beneficial to be reminded that the entire world is in the power of the wicked one, (1 John 5:19) and that we must be very aware of the dangers of mixing too closely to worldly activities and believes. Are aim is to bring God's truth to the world (of mankind) but not to be influenced by it which is a sure danger. As we learnt, God wants all to be saved but not at any cost. Those who continue to be in sinful relationships of whatever type, those who do not yet see this wrongful lifestyle as sinful, should not be part of the Christian ministry nor should they take an active part in Christian services or decision making. They should not be banned from attending, but it has to be made clear to them that God does not condone such behavior, nor will the Christian congregation. Not making it clear would indicate that we are sympathetic with the sin and therefore complicit in it. Would this be the way we want Our Heavenly Father to view us? It is perfectly true that God is Love (1 john 4:6) but God is also Just (2 Thessalonians 1:6, Deuteronomy 32:4). Because He is a Just God He must fulfil His Word. He has permitted each individual to exercise free moral agency in deciding whether to accept or reject His principals, but with this freedom, God has warned against tampering with His Truth in order to justify sinful behavior. Let us determine to "Study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

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1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV) 'Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men a nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.' (taken from New International Version)

Romans 1:24-27 (ESV) 'Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. (taken from English Standard Version)

Jude 1:7 (ESV) 'just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desires, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.' (Note eternal fire mentioned here was their destruction by the heavenly fire storm. They will gain an earthly resurrection in due time giving them an opportunity without all the worldly pressures).

Romans 10:2-3 (KJV) 'For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.' (taken from King James Version)

2 Timothy 3:1-4 (BSB) 'But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. 2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, 4traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!' (taken from Berean Study Bible)

James 1:14, 15 (GNT) 'If we are tempted by such trials, we must not say, “This temptation comes from God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. 15Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.' (taken from Good News Translation)

Ephesians 4:32 (NAS) 'Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.' (taken from New American Standard Bible)

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Is God Part of a Trinity?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word 'Trinity' as 'the unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead according to Christian dogma.' Most Christian churches claim that belief in the trinity is essential to being a Christian, leaving no room for dialog and certainly no opportunity for impartial investigation on this topic. However the scriptures, that is God's Word tells us "“Come now, and let us reason together.” (Isaiah 1:18) We are also told to “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Nowhere in the Bible does the word 'Trinity' appear, however it is true that Jesus himself says that "I [Jesus] and my Father are one." Still not a trinity but it does seem to support that thought, at least for two of the parts, Jesus and God are One one could falsely deduce. Recall God's admonition at 2 Timothy 2:15 (previous paragraph) to 'Study', is it possible that the words of Jesus could be totally misunderstood and that he (Jesus) is in no way placing himself equal to his Heavenly Father. Let's just consider one other scripture at John 14:20 where Jesus is forewarning his disciples that very shortly he is not going to be with them much longer, in part says, 'At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father ...' this may seem to support the thought of a trinity. Reading a little more of the scripture we learn 'At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.' Recall Jesus is speaking to his disciples so he is speaking about many, well more than three. Also recall the words of Jesus recorded at John 14:28 were Jesus says that his 'Father is greater than I' It really does not seem that Jesus thought that he was equal to his Father, Does it?

Before we look too deeply into this we'll look at another scripture, this time Jesus is praying to his Father, at John 17:11 we find Jesus giving thanks to God because he [Jesus] has completed the work he was given (see verse 8,9). He then offers thanks for those followers that his Heavenly Father had given into his care. He goes on to pray that his Father will keep them as one just as Jesus and his Father are one. This makes it very clear, Jesus is praying to his Father that because Jesus is about to leave this earthly realm he wants God to keep them together (as one) in thought and deed as Jesus had taught them, just the same as Jesus and his Father are one (of one thought). As a final thought just here let's look at Paul's word to the Galatians were we read, 'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28).

The English word translated as 'one' is translated from the Greek word 'heis'. The Greek word 'heis' has the Strongs Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries identifying number G1520 in all the sired cases Their definition is that the Greek word 'heis' has the meaning of one, often referring to a many, also has the thought of only, other or some. Using the thought that Jesus was using saying that he wants his disciples to remain 'one' just are his Father and himself one. In no way can Jesus have the thought as one person within each other because his disciples were far more than one other person. It is clear that Jesus is referring to his disciples remaining as one together in thought, in mind, in love, in following the examples that Christ had set for them.

In closing we'll look at John 10:30 - 'I and my Father are one.' The English word here translated 'one' is taken from the Greek word 'heis' Strong's number G1520.

To help you with your walk towards God's truth let's look at a couple of other scriptures that may help in answering the question 'Is God Part of a Trinity'. -

'Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' (Philippians 2:9-11)

'Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,' (Philippians 2:5,6 American Standard version)

'About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning when he has never studied?” So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.' (John 7: 14-16 English Standard version).

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When Will Christ Come Again?

Jesus told his disciples "...I will come again..." (John 14:3) They didn't understand these words of Jesus, because they believed that he was about to remove them from the bondage of the Romans, return Israel to its rightful position and then bless the world. Forty days later, their eyes strained heavenward trying to glimpse their final view of Christ whose earlier words would echo through their every thought. A few more days and their understanding would be complete, the "helper" at Pentecost made the words of Christ "...I will come again ..." clear.

Christians worldwide have been praying for the very day that Christ would return. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.” (Matthew 6:10 ASV) When would it come? Christians have been praying for it to come for almost two thousand years now. Why would it come? How long will it stay? and How will we know when it has come? The disciples of Jesus had the same questions to ask him shortly after telling them that the Temple they had just left would be shortly torn to the ground, not one stone standing on another. Arriving at the Mount of Olives they asked Jesus "...Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:3 KJV) They were asking when would the things be that Jesus had just been speaking of, the collapse of the Temple, what would the sign be of his coming and the end of the world and Christians have been asking this ever since.

Before we look at the answer Jesus gave, let's look at what they were asking. The fall of the Temple referred to the fall of Jerusalem which was some thirty years ahead. Christ's 'coming' however, is a very misunderstood thought, due to an error in the interpretation of the word 'coming'. A problem we have is in the use of English language. The words of Jesus and for that matter the New Testament have been translated from Greek (in the main) into English and the English language can use the same word to mean many different thoughts. Think of the word 'love', we love ourselves, we love our children, we love our parents, we love our pets, we love certain colors, cars, or other items, we love food, we make love, we love some books or movies, the same word but many different thoughts. Think of the word 'bow' what does this word mean? We can't determine until we see or hear it in use. If I was to tell you that you must 'bow' before royalty, you would understand the meaning behind the word. However I could say that you will need to purchase some arrows for your 'bow' before you leave the shop. What about if I said, you must wear a 'bow' to dinner tonight or that the strings of your 'bow' must be tightened before you practice the Cello. Tie your shoe laces in a 'bow' or please move to the 'bow of the boat'.

We have the same difficulty with scriptures, we see the words in English but have to rely on the translator to interpret into the English correctly. Here though, we have some help. Over the last hundred years or so we have seen a vast increase in man's knowledge. Science, engineering, electronics, medicine and hundreds of other offshoots of these have developed beyond belief. One of these offshoots is in the area of Dictionaries, Thesauruses and electronic search engines. We can now find the meaning of most Greek words that the English word was translated from. We can then find the original thoughts of the Greek word. For instance, at Matthew 24:3 we read '... what shall be the sign of thy coming ...', here the Greek word that has been translated into English as 'coming' is παρουσίας (parousia). According to Strong's Greek/Hebrew Dictionary 'παρουσίας (parousia)' Strong's number 3952 has the meaning of 'a presence' 'an advent' 'arrival' especially as relating to a king or other royalty. (Search the internet for "Strong’s Greek 3952"- use the word 'Greek' because Strong's also has a Hebrew definition with the same number). You can also use Bible Hub (biblehub.com) as a free Bible source including the Hebrew and Greek words and Strong's numbers.

We can now return to the answer that Jesus gave as to the signs that would indicate when his second presence (parousia) would occur. Many believe that "the day of the Lord" will come in such a way that the entire world will know and see him. Once again mankind has misunderstood the presence (parousia) of Christ. At his first presence many believed he would come as a king with vast armies to release the Israelites from the Roman bondage. They were so wrong; born in a stable, didn't start his ministry until 30 years of age, tortured and died as a criminal - not what mankind expected then, and so to today. Paul reminds us “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2) Jesus, himself told his disciples “... Take heed that no man deceive you.” (Matthew 24:4) regarding his return.

We are given many signs of that 'day of the Lord' - signs showing that Christ is present. We are shown that there would be, a vast increase of knowledge and travel (Daniel 12:4), hidden evil deeds of the past and present would be exposed (Luke 12:2), many Christians will turn from God's word, turn from sound doctrine and follow their own lusts, turning to teachers that support their own views. (2 Timothy 4:3,4), mankind will lose all forms of Godly devotion, rather seeking their own pleasures, many will look like good God-fearing folk but underneath false to His Power, unthankful, false accusers. (2 Timothy 3:1-9) Racial unrest riots and strife (Zephaniah 1:7-9), Juvenile misconduct (2 Timothy 3:2), an increase in governmental unrest, warring and threats of war. (Joel 3:9-11, Matthew 24:7-8) Mankind are truly concerned about the warring conditions and many will seek peace (1 Thessalonians 5:3) but without success. The ungodliness will continue to such an extent that God will have to intervene in order to stop the total destruction of mankind. (Matthew 24:22) These signs are visible to all today but the many will deny and ridicule that these are signs of Christ's presence.

Christ's Presence - Heralds God's Kingdom The point of Jesus' return is to remove the present evil influences as a prelude to setting up God's Kingdom. The prophets of old preached of a time, under an incorruptible government, when all will live together in harmony. There will be harmony between man and his neighbor, between mankind and the animal life. Mankind will have dominion over all animal life here on earth. Not though, dominion of mankind; God’s Kingdom will deal with mankind. Our Heavenly Father through the prophets tells us that a time will come when the lamb will dwell with the wolf, a calf with a lion and a young child will lead them. A sucking child will be able to play over the hole of the asp (snake) no hurt will happen anywhere on earth between mankind and the animal kingdom, nor between animal and animal, no harm anywhere. (Isaiah 11:6-9) They speak of a time when there will be no war anymore “... nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4 ) Economic security, mankind will reap the rewards for their own work. (Isaiah 65:21,22) Even death will be done away with. (Revelation 21:4)

The apostle Peter did not believe that Christ's return was just a story, maybe a parable to give mankind something to believe, only for the gullible, not wishful thinking nor idle dreams, he believed it was a fact. He was not dissuaded from the teachings of Christ by the false teaching of others regardless of the suggested proofs of science, medicine and religious views. He had read the sure word of prophecy. (2 Peter 1:16-19) Christ is here now, what we see happening around the world is the tearing down of the old (systems) in readiness for the new Kingdom, God's Kingdom to reign both in heaven and on earth. Both Heaven and Earth will have Kingdom representatives to help all enjoy God's provisions for mankind once again.

A Pictorial View of God's Kingdom on Earth.

Does Hell Really Exist?

Scripturally speaking, which is the only method available to us, which allows us to discern God's thoughts, would show that 'Hell' does indeed exist. A great many Christians have the thought of an everlasting fiery torment, as God's punishment for sin. Honestly, before any other explanations are given; Is it really possible to believe that, a Loving God would punish anyone forever in fiery torment because of wrongdoing? It doesn't matter what the wrongdoing was, God is not going to punish anyone forever in any form of torment, fiery or otherwise and as we work through this article we will scripturally prove this point to you.

Paul speaking to the Romans tells us that the "wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23 KJV) Early the prophet Hosea speaks of the time when Our Lord will destroy Hell when he writes "I will ransom them from the power of the grave [sheol, hell]; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave [sheol, hell;], I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." (Hosea 13:14) Sheol is a Hebrew word which has the thought of a grave, a place for the dead (all dead), Hades is the Greek word that has the same thought as Sheol. This thought of Hell being totally destroyed is also seen in Revelation where we read "And death and hell [Hades, grave] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."(Revelation 20:15)

From what we have read Hell is the common place that all dead are placed. It is just the condition of the dead. Before our advanced times cremation was not available so most were buried in the ground [Hades, grave] or in caves. Today, however you are treated following death you are considered to be in the same place; 'Sheol', 'Hades', 'Hell', 'Grave'. All have the thought of the condition of the dead. Paul writing to the Corinthians also tells us "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:26 ) This gives us the assurance that it is not God's purpose to torment nearly all the human race in hell forever. Indeed, it is not God’s purpose to torment people at all. "God is love," (1 John 4:8) the Bible tells us, and there is nothing in the Bible to indicate that He (God) has prepared a place (hell) of fire and brimstone to torture his human creatures.

Throughout the Scriptures, in both the Old Testament and the New, death is referred to as sleep. King David is said to have slept with his fathers (I Kings 2:10) at his death. When Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, died, Jesus said of him, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth," (John 11:11) When Jesus awakened Lazarus from the sleep of death, the account says "he who was dead came forth" (John 11:44) Jesus does not say that he who was in purgatory returned, nor he who was in a place of torture and torment came back. The simple truth is that Lazarus was asleep in death – unconscious – and when he was awakened, he who was dead came forth. We have the biblical record of several who were awakened from the sleep of death, yet none of them ever said a word about being either in hell or purgatory. Obviously they could not make a report on either of these places, for the simple reason that no such places existed; and besides, they had been unconscious in death. They had not gone anywhere. They were dead!

When a man dies, "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish" (Psalms. 146:4) There is hope of life after death, a glorious hope! But that hope is not based on the error that there is no death, but on the great truth that God will restore the dead to life. Job asked, "If a man die, shall he live again?" (job 14:14) job knew better than to ask. "If a man die, is he really dead?" Job knew that those who die have gone out of existence forever unless God restores them to life. This is the teaching of the entire Word of God. Paul affirms it, saying, "If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen, ... then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished" (I Cor. 15: 13-18) Yes, the dead are to be restored. Jesus said to Martha, "He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11: 25, 26) Jesus has the keys of death. He will use them to unlock the great prison house of death and set its captives free.

Jesus tells us that a time is coming when all those in the grave will hear his voice and come forth to a period of judgment. (John 5:28, 29) This judgment or corrective process of the 1000 year Kingdom, designed to reclaim mankind. Their awakening from death will be only the first step on the return road to human perfection. Other steps will be taken as they pass the tests of obedience which will be given all individuals at that time. Thus their resurrection, or raising up to perfection, will be by judgements; all of their cleansing and disciplinary experiences serving as tests will, as those tests are passed, result in their being raised a little nearer to the ultimate perfection which will be their goal. There is every indication now that the time for this blessing of mankind is very near.

In summary, Hell as most Christians believe it to be, does not exist. There is no actual place which burns as fire and brimstone or a lake of fire. These are just terms which indicate total destruction, generally when something is thrown into a fire it is totally destroyed. Jesus used the example of fire as total destruction because all residents of Jerusalem could see a fire which must never be allowed to be extinguished in a valley very near the city walls. In this valley all the city's rubbish would be burned, brimstone and sulphur was thrown on the fire to keep it burning night and day. This valley was known as the valley of Hinnom. Maybe this is were the false belief of a Hell Fire came from?

Why Jesus Spoke in Parables?

“The disciples came, and said unto him [Jesus], Why speakest thou unto them in parables? And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” (Matthew 13:10,11, ASV). The understanding of parables is a special gift to some, with the express purpose of helping them better understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. This can probably be applied to kingdom prophecies, too, which describe how to live according to God’s principles.

Understanding the parables en­genders greater responsibility: “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Matthew 13:12). One cannot ignore this veiled reference to the parable of the talents. This statement from Jesus and the parable of the talents both teach that God rewards those who use his gifts profitably and chastises those who disregard them knowingly (see the parables in Matthew 25).

There are many who are not ready or willing to fully receive the Lord’s word during this present age: “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matthew 13:13-15). The parables are not for them. At first glance, this seems to be out of character for the one who died for all, especially since his ministry consisted of relentless giving of his own strength through healing miracles, teachings, praying, and comforting. However, the context of this parable provides clues to the contrary. In his explanation of the parable of the sower, Jesus identified three of the four types of soils (heart conditions) as unable to fully serve God at this time, even though they may have initially ac­cepted the word joyfully.

Parables are a tremendous, un­deserved gift for those who truly cherish God’s word: “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them” (Matthew 13:16,17). They are also a special blessing all during the Gospel age.

Jesus welcomed the disciples’ in­quiries into the meaning of the parables and he answered them openly: “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom …” (Matthew 13:18-23). Ideally, we should also find Jesus’ explanations of the parables by using the clues he usually provided. Sometimes these clues come in the form of an “even so,” or “likened unto.” Other times the clues come by linking them to prophecies. Additionally, we should use the power of Jesus’ parables to strengthen our faith and the faith of those upon whom we have influence. In time, that is God's time all of mankind will fully understand every word spoken of Jesus.