Received an email from someone with basically no knowledge of the COGs. After sobering up from hard times, he believes God wants him to change. One of the things he wrote was:
I have made the decision to follow God.
He also asked to speak to someone in his area, and I had someone contact him and speak with him.
What should the next step be?
Well, once one has a repentant attitude, one should obey the admonishing of the Apostle Paul to:
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV)
Yes, you should prove the truth of the basics of your faith.
Jesus taught:
31 … If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32, NKJV here and the remaining quotes)
37 … I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. (John 18:37)
After that last statement, Pontius Pilate asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:38).
Most do not know. This is something people need to prove.
The New Testament teaches:
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
First, you should prove if God exists. We live in a society whose claimed experts do not want people to believe there is a God.
To assist you with that, we have a free online book available: Is God’s Existence Logical?
You should have no doubt.
Many of us live in societies that act like all religions are the same. They are not.
Was Jesus just on of many great religious leaders or was He truly the Son of God and the Messiah?
You can and should prove His Messiahship to yourself. We have a jam-packed free online book available: Proof Jesus is the Messiah. This book and the previous booklet also have proofs about why the Bible is reliable.
Of course, in this age, many have been confused about what books should be in the Bible. To assist, we have another free online book: Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete?
You need a firm foundation.
As it turns out, Jesus said:
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; (John 6:44)
So, to determine if God is calling you, we have another free online booklet titled: Is God Calling You?
Notice part of why God calls people:
12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:12)
To help learn how to walk as a Christian, we have a free online book: Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian.
For additional information, we also have free online books on the Ten Commandments (see The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast) and the Holy Days (see Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?). We also have free booklets on prayer (see Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach?) and faith (see Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen).
Jesus said to “count the cost” in Luke 14:28, and the books related to Christian living should help.
As far as being part of the kingdom of God goes, we also recommend that you read the free online booklet: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which is available in over 100 languages at the www.ccog.org website.
Furthermore, to answer life’s biggest questions, like why did God create anything or make you, we have a free online booklet: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You?
Once you have proven that God exists, Jesus is the Messiah, that you should live as a Christian, and what God’s plan is, you also will want to look at which church.
To point you to a Church of God as the true representative of the Christian faith in the 21st century, we have two books that should help: Continuing History of the Church of God and Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism.
The Apostle Paul wrote of:
15 … the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15)
All Church of God’s are NOT the same.
To assist you, we have a free booklet: Where is the True Christian Church Today?
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus condemns those who will not support the true work in the end time and/or are lukewarm about it (cf. Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22).
The books and booklets have many scriptures and historical references so that you can prove all things and hold fast what is good. They were written so that “that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed” (Luke 1:4).
Yes, certainty.
As a seeker of truth, please be like the Bereans of old, who, “received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” ( Acts 17:11).
But just reading is not enough:
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:22)
Finally, once you are convinced, and accept Jesus as Savior you should counsel to be baptized (see also How does the CCOG handle Counseling, Prayer Requests, Funerals, and Anointing of the Sick?), and obey God. For God gives His Holy Spirit “to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32).
Yes, please prove all things, hold fast to those things which are good, and support the most faithful Church of God as it works to fulfill the mission set forth in the New Testament.
Yes, you can know the truth and the truth will set you free from this deceptive society and set you on a path to be in the coming Kingdom of God.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
How Do I Become a Member of the Continuing Church of God? This article has scriptures, links, and other information for those interested in being part of the CCOG. Here is a link to a related sermonette: 10 Steps to Be a Member of the CCOG.
Baptism, the Early Church, and the Continuing Church Was it by immersion? Did it include infants? Does Polycarp prove infant baptism? Here is a link to some information in the Spanish language: Bautismo de infantes o bendición de los niños pequeños. A related sermon video is titled Baptism: What is it and how should it be done?
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
Real Conversion Many think that they are converted Christians. But are they? Would you like to know more about conversion?
False Conversion! Have you really been converted? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote an article on this important subject–but more scriptures have been added to it. How can you tell false conversion? A related video is also available: False Conversion. A Spanish language version is also available: Falsa Conversión.
All About Water Baptism What is baptism? Would you like to know more about it. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. As far as early history, see also Baptism, the Early Church, and the Continuing Church.
Laying on of Hands This is an elementary principle of Hebrews 6. Have you properly had hands laid upon you? Here is a link to a related sermon: Laying on of Hands and Succession.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There are also two YouTube video related to this: Living as a Christian: How and Why? and Living as a Christian: Pure Milk of the Word.
Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido. In German: Glaube für die von Gott Berufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese N{ÇQsNŽOáNðv„\e‡zà.
Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. There are links to literature is about 100 different languages there. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? an CCOG: Four Years Revealing Philadelphia? Here is a written link to a version of that first sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
ContinuingCOG YouTube channel. Dr. Thiel has produced video sermons for this channel. Also available at BitChute COGTube https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogtube/Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other videos. Here is a link to a short intro: ContinuingCOG Channel.