UCG Raleigh

A lot of human time and energy goes into the study of war, news about war, analysis and commentary on war, recovering from the last war, preparing for the next war. But, followers of Christ are called to become people who have learned to be peacemakers... those who do what needs to be done to make peace. Get a FREE copy of our eBook "What Really Happens After Death?" Full details are at this link: http://eepurl.com/ddB0yb Photos by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.​ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Anxiety, stress, fear, despair are in the air and God's people are not immune… address and overcome these negative emotions and thoughts with a strong sense of purpose. But not just any purpose, God’s purpose which does not fail or fade away. Get a FREE copy of our eBook "What Really Happens After Death?" Full details are at this link: http://eepurl.com/ddB0yb Photos by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.​ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

The consecration and redemption of the first born through the payment of a ransom price is built into the memorial meaning of the biblical festival of unleavened bread. It is something we are to remember and teach to others as one of the many lessons of the festival of unleavened bread. Request a free copy of - God's Holy Day Plan https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-study-aids/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind

The Church of God’s understanding of the spiritual lessons built into the festival of unleavened bread are built upon the words of Jesus Christ and the apostles. So let us keep the festival… the the spirit of the new covenant. Putting out the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness and eating instead the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

The bible indicates that offering salvation to all human beings comes in stages 1 Corinthians 15:22-26. ALL will be made alive but each in turn: First - Christ is raised from the dead to eternal life Then - those who are His followers are raised to eternal life at Christ's return Then - "the end" - those who have never become followers of Christ, or even had the opportunity to do so will be raised and enter into a period of judgment. "the end" marks a momentous time which, when finished, will remove death from the human experience forever. Get a FREE copy of our eBook "What Really Happens After Death?" Full details are at this link: http://eepurl.com/ddB0yb

Jesus' example of observing and eating the Passover on the evening that marks the beginning of the 14th day of Nisan was a conscious reset of the Passover. It would be a reset to the original pattern established and recorded in Exodus 12. Get a FREE copy of our eBook "The Gospel of the Kingdom" Full details are at this link: http://eepurl.com/ddAKz1 This message will walk through the new covenant Passover observed by Jesus... and the old covenant Passover first observed in Egypt. Photos by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.​ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Under the terms of the OC Israel observed Passover each year to remember their deliverance from bondage in Egypt and protection from the death of the firstborn in all the land of Egypt. Under the terms of the NC the Church observes Passover each year to remember the foundational event of salvation. The death of Jesus Christ as our Passover. Through Him we are redeemed from bondage to sin and death. Its where we begin. Get a FREE copy of our eBook "The Gospel of the Kingdom" Full details are at this link: http://eepurl.com/ddAKz1 Photos by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.​ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

Pharaoh had been warned that this confrontation would lead all the way up to the death of every Egyptian firstborn son... unless he humbled himself and submitted to YHWH. Each of the successive plagues upon Egypt would be an increasingly intense warning of impending death.

The time has come for Moses to return to Egypt. God intended for Moses to have face to face interaction with Pharaoh. What’s really going on is that through Moses God would have His demand delivered directly to the man at the top. But God warned Moses that Pharaoh would refuse to listen. Jesus gave us the same warning, “if they reject me, they will reject you", "you will be persecuted for teaching what I tell you". https://ucgraleigh.blogspot.com/2024/03/moses-returns-to-egypt.html

Moses would only become the person God could use to deliver His holy nation after additional training. The great man of words and action needed meekness, humility, and patience. He would learn these traits through 40 years as a shepherd in the wilderness of Midian. Get a FREE copy of our eBook "What Really Happens After Death?" Full details are at this link: http://eepurl.com/ddB0yb

Exodus is part of an unfolding story. It's a continuation of the Genesis account of Abraham's family. But their history is also your history.

Sound doctrines and beliefs must be based on the word of God... absorbing the content... teaching it to others... supporting those who teach... supporting the authority that is behind it... intellectually... administratively... emotionally... financially... and spiritually. If we do this in the proper balance of word, authority, and spirit we will be growing in grace and knowledge.

Jonah’s story challenges assumptions. Assumptions about what it means to be “chosen”… not a free ticket but a responsibility. Assumptions about the power of human freedom within the framework of prophecy and the will of God. The account we have of Jonah sticks out as very unique within the 12 minor prophets. Putting Jonah among the 12 minor prophets asks us to consider it in relation to those books and their message. The story of Jonah questions overly simplistic ideas some people, may have about prophecy. Placement among the 12 minor prophets offers a thoughtful antidote to false assumptions held by people in 500 B.C. … the 1st century A.D. … even 2024 A.D. l Particularism - the idea that God only cares about the people of Israel [in our day we might apply it to the Church of God]. l Determinism/Fatalism - the idea that outcomes cannot change. Which can lead to pessimism and apathy about the future.

Jonah 1:1 this verse allows us to find Jonah in 1 Kings 14:23-25. He came from a town in northern Israel on the south coast of the sea of Galilee near Nazareth. He appears to be a part of the company of prophets surrounding the king of the norther tribes… Jeroboam II. The time frame would be 780 BC.... about 50 years before northern Israel would fall to the Assyrians. Why was Jonah giving Jeroboam II prophecies of victories at the same time Amos and Hosea were dishing out such hard criticism?

How we dress (especially for special occasions) comes and goes as the decades and centuries roll by. Given enough time jackets and ties will disappear… but the principle of dressing for the occasion will not.

Why Proper Teaching About the Holy Spirit Matters Teaching the holy spirit is a third person in a trinity causes confusion. What the bible actually reveals is a better, and more functional, explanation about how God is at work within you… of how you can and will be at one with God… how you can become like Him in mind and character… and how you can enter into the universe ruling God family. The trinity teaching makes God more remote, self contained, and strange than actual scriptural teaching. The scriptural way in which God presents Himself is as a family. A family which achieves oneness through a unity of mind, will and purpose. A family that you can be part of… but if you do want to be part of it you have to change the way you think and behave. You can join a family… you cannot join a trinity. The roles of Father and Son clearly present God as a family. The inclusion of a holy spirit a third divine person doesn't fit... what is it? An eccentric uncle? A cousin? No, the holy spirit is not presented as part of any recognizable family member. The family pattern also portrays the importance of authority and submission as the means whereby peace and harmony will be achieved (now and in eternity). The Father and the Son are easily understandable pictures of authority and submission balanced with love and respect Including the Holy Spirit as a third person gets us off track. Not only does it not have a clear place in any family pattern... it does not fit any recognizable pattern of authority or submission.

Knowing & Understanding God Jeremiah 9:23-24 God wants us to know and understand Him... and He wants us to then pattern our lives after what we know. Because that is how we will get joy and pleasure from the gift of eternal life. We know and understand Him through 1) what He does (hesed, exercises kindness, grace, mercy) and 2) what He says (guidelines for justice and righteousness). What He Does: the record of Israel's history... is there to show YHWH in action… ready to bless with every good thing, but also ready to judge righteousness and justice, but with mercy. The Psalms & Prophets could be seen as reflections on what we come to know about God through His actions. What He Says: God has given us a foundation of laws, statutes, and behavioral case studies. These are God's ideals for human interaction. Then… God revealed Himself to us even more powerfully through the life and ministry of Jesus. God became a human being so that we might know God better (and visa versa). The Trinity However, most professing Christians (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox) insist that God must be understood in a very different manner... the trinity.

The seventh day of the week is the Sabbath of the Most High God. On this day we are to rest from our work and assemble ourselves before Him. Get a FREE copy of our eBook "The Church Jesus Built" Full details are at this link: http://eepurl.com/daGx69 The Creator made the Sabbath for multiple functions: it is a day of instruction, it is a prophetic shadow of things passed, and things yet to come, and it is a sign of recognition between the Most High God and the people He is working with. Photos by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.​ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

We proclaim the coming kingdom of God... like Jesus did, like the apostles did… and the early Church did. We know the rule of God on earth does not come about by human efforts or pretensions of progress... the rule of God on earth begins with the return of Christ preceded by clear signs and events foretold by Jesus and the prophets. Like the disciples we ask and wonder... when will it come?

The relevance of the day of Atonement for new covenant believers is covered in the book of Hebrews. It directly addresses two of the four main themes of the day. Get a FREE copy of our eBook "What Really Happens After Death?" Full details are at this link: http://eepurl.com/ddB0yb The Day of Atonement Has Meaning For Our Time Hebrew 9:8-10 - one of the features of the day of atonement is: our present separation from God... lost at Eden... cast out from His presence… the way back guarded by angels with flaming swords... as pictured on the veil used in the temple. The day of Atonement was a symbolic picture of the coming restoration of our direct relationship with God... but it was only a symbol. The reality of re-establishing that direct relationship would only come to pass through Jesus Christ. The offerings of Leviticus 16 are no longer a part of our observance of the day of Atonement. Under the new covenant they have been replaced by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ… who is also now acts as the high priest. The symbols and outward observance didn't have the power to transform people from within... they could not cleanse our conscience. But Christ can. Photos by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.​ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/