Books

Have You Ever Wondered?

In legal language, a disaster that is due entirely to the forces of nature and could not reasonably have been prevented is referred to as an act of God. This phrase is often included in insurance policies. Where did we get the idea that God is responsible for bad things that happen in our world? Does he arbitrarily decide when and where events such as tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters occur? Does God do something to make these things happen? Does he manipulate the natural world to bring about his desired outcome? And why doesn’t he do more to prevent suffering in our world? Finally, was God responsible for the violence we read about in the Bible? Did he resort to violence himself?

Judgment day! Most cultures around the world hold to a principle that everyone is going to face judgment for the things they have done in this life. Jesus Christ provides a simple principle to endure this judgment process. "Judge  not, that you be not judged." (Matthew 7:1).

How and when does God forgive us? Is He angry at us, requiring us to adequately recognize our sinfulness before forgiving us? This booklet aims to show that God is not like this - that in actuality God is always ready to forgive, if we would just let Him.

Christ is the image of the invisible God, and by Christ were all things created. (Col 1:15-16)

Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Why did God the Father create everything through Christ His Son? Why does God have a Son? Why do we need to go through the Son to reach the Father? The answers to these questions are at the heart of the science of salvation.

If we can understand the relationship of God to His only Begotten Son, and their relationship to the rest of the universe, we have a key to understanding creation itself and everything in it. For everything was created in this pattern of the Father-Son, and in this relationship is the loving pattern for all relationships.

How do we reconcile the wholesale slaughter of nations by Israel with the sword against the words of Christ?  "…for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.? (Matthew 26:52).

What does the burning bush, Mount Sinai, and the Sabbath commandment have in common? They all are described as "holy" in the Scriptures. But what does it mean for something to be holy? What makes something, or someone, holy? In this booklet, we will investigate why these places and times are described as holy, and how it can affect you today.

It is often thought that the wicked are not simply going to destroy themselves, and that if God is a God of justice He will punish transgressors and reward them for their evil according to their deeds by directly putting them into flames and burning them alive Himself. Would a loving God do this to His children?

Why was the Cross required and who required it? Why was the Cross necessary for our salvation? Was God’s wrath satisfied by the death of His Son? What is God’s justice and is it different to our justice? Why did Jesus compare Himself to a bronze serpent on a pole? What does the Israelite Sanctuary tell us about the Cross?

Was the death of Jesus meant to satisfy God's wrath and justice? 

What do we make of statements like these?

And to the [other angels] he [God] said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. Ezekiel 9:5-6

Do God’s holy angels really kill people – “old and young, both maids, and little children, and women”? Does Christ truly speak the words: “These people must die, go and execute them!” Does the Hebrew word nakah (to smite) always mean “to kill”? Jesus said He glorified His Father while here upon the earth, John 17:4. However, Jesus never killed anyone while here. Did Jesus hide this part of the character of God? If executing people is part of His character, then why did He not reveal this while here on earth?

For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Luke 9:56

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? John 14:9

Understanding the subject of the two covenants is an important part of understanding the gospel and reading the Scriptures in a correct framework. This booklet introduces this subject in a simple manner to provide the reader with essential elements to understand this subject.

In Jn. 14:9 Jesus said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” When did Jesus ever condemn or judge anyone? When did Jesus torture anyone? When did Jesus kill anyone? Jesus counsels all of us to anoint our eyes with the spiritual eye-salve He is offering so that we might “see” more clearly (Rev. 3:18). Then, as we read the Bible through this new eyesight, the veil of fear and condemnation is taken away (2 Cor. 3:14-16). Jesus is asking each of us, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (Lk. 10:26). The key is understanding how to read the Scriptures. Do you read it through your carnal understanding or through the Spirit of Christ? As the true character of our heavenly Father is revealed through the Spirit of His Son, we begin to see that God is not a blood-thirsty tyrant who is against sinners, but that God and man share a common enemy who seeks to destroy our faith in a non-condemning Father who loves us with all His heart, and with all His soul, and with all His strength.

On the Sabbath the Father breathed upon His Son and the Son was refreshed in His Father’s love (Colossians 1:16; Exodos 31:17). This intimate connection between Father and Son was placed permanently in the Sabbath, and each Sabbath the Father breathes out His refreshing rest upon His Son and all those who accept the Son. "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." (Matthew 12:28).

In this book are presented four articles from E.J. Waggoner between 1893 and 1894 that profoundly challenge the common understanding of God’s justice and the cross as taught by “Christianity.” The key lies in the true understanding of righteousness by faith.

See how the cross of Christ unlocks all the mysteries surrounding the violent events that have taken place throughout history. Is it possible to see “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” in the stories of the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the plagues of Egypt etc.?

Explains the many difficult biblical expressions concerning the character of God in a easy-to-read format. 

“Nevertheless I [Jesus] tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” (John 16:7, 8)

What do you think of when you hear the word “conviction”? Do you think of condemnation?  If so, from whom? The one doing the convicting, or yourself?

Discover how Christ is crucified afresh every time man sinks into rebellion and death by rejecting His everlasting message of mercy. 

To Bible readers concerned about Revelation's Lake of Fire, this study will come as a relief. Why? Because, contrary to popular belief, that final judgment scene is not about a physical fire burning forever.

However, it will be a painful experience - mentally and emotionally. Billions of people will face their own wrong choices and the ultimate choice to not trust in God. With the realization of eternity lost, the degree of regret will be beyond measure. Along with guilt and shame as figurative coals of fire on their heads coming from within themselves, it will literally be enough to crush out their lives in the Second Death.

Everyone all over the world attend various gatherings; from birthday parties, funerals, graduations, weddings and anniversaries. Even religious groups across the earth attend gatherings such as weekly church services, baptisms, communions, and yearly Christmas and Easter services etc. The list goes on and on.

But have you ever considered that God has outlined specific gatherings in His word? In the Old Testament these sacred gatherings were called moédim, which simply means “The Appointed Times”, “Festivals”, or, “Feasts” (Leviticus 23). In the New Testament these same gatherings are called “The Times of Refreshing” (Acts 3:19).