CGI DIGITAL NETWORK Blog

Information and opinions expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the collective beliefs and doctrines of the Church of God International, its members, ministry, or leadership.

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Veneration or Idolatry?
Mike James
Veneration or Idolatry?
Mike James

To understand the difference between veneration and idolatry, we need to define our terms. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, veneration is respect or awe inspired by the dignity, wisdom, dedication, or talent of a person. The same source defines idolatry as the worship of a physical object as a god or an immoderate attachment or devotion to something. So, there is a distinction between the two words, but when you have great awe or respect for someone or something, it could easily lead to idolatry.

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Mike James
Does God Love the Whole World?
Mike James
Does God Love the Whole World?
Mike James

One of the most popular scriptures supporting the idea that God cares about Gentiles as much as He cares about Israel is John 3:16. This scripture basically says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. When you put this together with all the scriptures we find in the New Testament, it seems very clear that God is not playing favorites.

But believe it or not, there are some people who believe in the Bible, and they take a different view about John 3:16. Groups like the Black Hebrew Israelites (BHI) and Calvinists.

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Mike James
“Show No Mercy!” — Understanding God’s Justice, Judgment, and Mercy in the Old Testament
Jeff Reed
“Show No Mercy!” — Understanding God’s Justice, Judgment, and Mercy in the Old Testament
Jeff Reed

Few accusations against the Bible are as emotionally charged—or as frequently repeated—as the claim that the Old Testament portrays God as cruel, violent, or even genocidal. Popular critics such as Richard Dawkins have gone so far as to describe the God of the Old Testament as morally monstrous, contrasting Him with the God of love revealed in the New Testament.

In his sermon “Show No Mercy!”, Vance Stinson addresses this challenge head-on, examining the biblical texts most often cited by critics and placing them within their proper historical, literary, and theological context. Rather than avoiding the difficult passages, this message confronts them honestly, demonstrating that a careful reading of Scripture reveals not a contradiction in God’s character, but a coherent and morally serious divine plan.

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Jeff Reed
What is "Ekklesia?"
Mike James
What is "Ekklesia?"
Mike James

With the recent rise in interest in Dominionist theology and Christian Nationalism in the United States, there has been an effort to redefine the term "Church," or ekklesia in the Greek. When you search this word in an authoritative source like the Bauer/Danker Greek and English Lexicon you find three primary definitions.

The first definition provided is a regularly summoned legislative body or assembly. The second definition is a casual gathering of people, an assemblage, or gathering. The third definition is people with a shared belief, a community, or a congregation.

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Mike James

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