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Question: Would I receive the same answers as
you provided if I were to ask another minister of the Church of God,
International in another congregation in another state?
Answer: There may be slight variations in wording
etc., but in general they would be the same.
Question: How similar is your worship from
congregation to congregation and state to state?
Answer: The church has a standard guideline for
chartered church services, so in general the services would follow the
same format. We do, however, have some very small groups and sometimes
they do not have the means to follow that guideline exactly. The
minister in charge, also has the leeway to vary that format as is
necessary or as he deems desirable according to the situation.
Question: I noticed that multiple Church of
God, International congregations can have the same minister listed and
the same start times for Church services. Unless you have discovered
time travel, how is that possible?
Answer: Often, a CGI minister is responsible for
more than one congregation. Sometimes there are other men who do some of
the speaking. They may give a sermonette and play a video tape of a
sermon that was previously given, perhaps at another location.
Question: Do you consider COGI a "protestant"
church or a category unto itself and why?
Answer: We consider ourselves Christian but not
protestant. Protestants keep several
traditions that were inherited from the Catholic Church that are not
part of God's instructions contained in the Bible. We try to obey
Biblical instructions, without change, to the best of our ability.
Question: Would I hear the words "You are
Healed" or "Demons get out" (or something of the like) during a service?
Answer: No! We do believe that God definitely
heals according to his own will. We do earnestly pray for the sick.
Sometimes they are healed, we believe miraculously. Sometimes they are
not. We make no claim to being able to cast out demons or heal the sick
by our own power. Although we do have faith in prayer we make no claim
to absolute knowledge of what God's answer to our prayers will be.
Although we pray publicly at the beginning and end of our church
services and to ask God's blessing on the food before church sponsored
meals, we believe our most important, and most effective prayers are
individual and done in private.
Question: Does the COGI believe in replacement
theology? (i.e.. The church has replaced Israel in the covenant
promises)
Answer: You must understand what the covenant
promises were/are. You may - I just do not know if you do. The old
covenant was an agreement between God and the Israelites. The Israelites
were to obey the ten commandments, the ordinances, and the judgments of
God. God in return would give them physical blessings, good health,
prosperity, national greatness, etc. The new covenant is an agreement
between the Israelites including those that were to be grafted in
(converted gentiles) and God. Those of that group who would keep the
same ten commandments would receive from God His Spirit to help them to
work toward perfection now and a change in composition to Spirit and
eternal life at the second coming of Jesus. They are to have positions
as kings and priests under Christ and rule with Him on this earth for a
thousand years before God the Father comes and brings New Jerusalem down
out of heaven to this earth and dwell with men.
Under the old covenant the human leadership
wielded both civil and religious authority. Hence the need for
ordinances to run the civil government and the need for judgments which
spelled out the punishment to be applied for infractions of the
ordinances. Under the new covenant the human leadership under God has no
civil authority, hence no need for ordinances. That is the part of the
law that was done away under the new covenant. The Israelites wanted a
civil government (King) like the surrounding nations and God allowed it
after warning them that they would be abused by their own Kings.
Remember that Jesus said at the very beginning of His ministry (new
covenant) that it would be easier to do away with heaven and earth
than to do away with the law and the prophets. (Mt. 5:17-20) This law He
referred to as the commandments. This law and the prophets are both
contained in the old testament. None of the new testament existed at
that time. He went on to amplify the law of the commandments.
Question: Does the COGI eat kosher? If so, how
do you explain 1 Tim 4:1-5?
Answer: We do not eat kosher in the sense that the Jews do. We do
observe the dietary laws contained in Lev. 11 & Deut. 14.
1Tim. 4:1-5 is a warning to beware of those that
make their own rules about what is suitable for human consumption (an
example is a large church that claims it is a sin to eat meat on a
Friday, but one may eat fish on that day). That is not God's
instructions. It is, "giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils." They teach that it is wrong to eat that which God created, and
sanctified (set apart from such things as swine, mice, and snails, all
of which people do eat). These verses specifically and clearly state
that they are teaching people to abstain from that "which God hath
created to be received", the very foods that God "sanctified", (set
apart for human consumption).
Question: Are you Pentecostal holy rollers?
Answer: No!
Question: Does the COGI believe that all 12
tribes of Israel are reunited in this day?
Answer: No! We believe that will happen when Jesus
returns and resurrects David who will be King, under Jesus, over all
twelve tribes and the twelve apostles who will each be a King, under
Jesus and David, over one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Question: What biblical foundation is used in
COGI's belief that there is no trinity existing of Father, Son and
Spirit?
Answer: There are many reasons. Jesus prayed to
the Father in Heaven when He was on earth. He was flesh and blood, born
of the virgin Mary. He cannot be His own Father and His own son at the
same time. The Bible says that no man has seen the Father. The Bible
says that Jesus will rule the earth one thousand years before the Father
comes to abide on this earth. The Bible does say there is one God, but
Jesus prayed that His followers would be one as He and the Father are
one. Are all followers of Jesus to be merged into one body? Hardly! They
are one in their goals, their motives, their work So shall the servants
of God be when they are made spirit and given eternal life. When the KJ
Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as "he". It should have been translated
"it" for it is the essence (power) from God that leads us to all truth.
If the Holy Spirit was a separate individual then the Holy Spirit would
be the father of Jesus, the Christ. Call (903) 939-2929 or visit our
central web site at www.cgi.org
to obtain a free copy of the booklet, " God is not a Trinity".
Question: What does the typical congregation
offer for children and teens?
Answer: Where we are able we do have Sabbath
School for children, however many of our congregations are not able
because of the makeup of the congregation or lack of qualified manpower.
We are striving to improve that as we have the resources. Take a look at
our web site at: www.cgi.org and look
for SKY - Sabbath Keeping Youth - and you will find material helpful for
teaching and discussions with your children.
Question: Is the use of dance common in
worship?
Answer: No! That is never allowed in a church
service. We do on rare special occasions have a family type dance as a
social activity. When that happens, the weird or obscene types of
dancing that is prevalent in the society today is not tolerated.
Question: I have a question about the
Church. Does the Church have the right to tell us what to do?
Answer: In answer to your question,
"Does the church have the authority to tell us what to do?"
We in the Church of God,
International believe that the church has full authority to teach the
word of God, as contained in the Holy Bible. Whether that teaching is
obeyed or not obeyed is the responsibility of each individual. The
church is the teaching arm of the Kingdom of God that is yet to be set
up on this earth and as such has no authority to enforce anything. Only
Jesus Christ is capable of judging the individual's willingness and
ability to obey.
As church policy we believe it is
our responsibility to be ready to teach all who desire to learn about
God and his plan for mankind. We do not believe it is our responsibility
to teach those who do not want to learn about the same. Therefore we
consider ourselves to be a non-proselytizing church.
As a practical thing we do keep
order in the church assembly while we do our best to teach what is
contained in God's word. We therefore welcome all who come in peace to
our Church Services.
Question: Do you keep the Jewish
festivals of the Old Testament?
Answer: We do keep the seven annual
feasts that are mentioned in Leviticus chapter 23 of the Old Testament,
however there is a false assumption in the question.
God never established any Sabbath
or Holy Day (feast or festival) that was intended exclusively for the
Jewish Tribe of Israel. The feasts that are mentioned in Leviticus 23
are called "the feasts of the Lord" and were given to all of
Israel just after more than four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. The
feasts of the Lord are intended for all who serve the Lord. Several
times during the course of listing these feasts, we are told that they
are statutes forever.
Jacob's name was changed to Israel
(Gen 32:28) and all Israelites are his descendants. Jacob had twelve
sons and each of them produced families that grew large and became the
twelve tribes of Israel. Judah was one of those sons and his family
became the tribe of Judah (the Jews). There are eleven other tribes of
Israel. Therefore all Jews are Israelites but all Israelites are not
Jews.
Question: Since you claim to be
Christians, why do you hold your Church Services on Saturday instead of
Sunday as most Christian Churches do?
Answer: This question goes to the heart
of our beliefs.
God created the earth, as we know
it, in six days and rested on and sanctified the seventh day. (Gen
2:1-3) Sanctified means setting it apart, making it different from other
days of the week.
The fourth commandment tells us
that God Hallowed (made holy) the seventh day. It also tells us that we
are not to work on the seventh day and that we are to attend a Holy
Convocation, a gathering of those who worship the only Holy God and are
striving to obey Him. It tells us to remember the seventh day,
indicating that it was in effect from the seventh day of creation when
God rested. (Ex 20:8-11 & Deut 5:13-15)
At the very beginning of his
ministry Jesus said that heaven and earth could more easily pass away
than for the law to be changed or done away with. (Mt. 5:17-19) (this
law referred to as these commandments in verse 19) When Jesus made that
statement the New Testament had not been written.
It was Jesus custom to keep the
seventh day Sabbath throughout his ministry. (Lu. 4:16) No serious Bible
Scholar will deny this. We are told that we should follow His example.
(1 Peter 2:21)
The Saints of God are those that
keep His TEN Commandments. (Rev 14:12)
None of the Apostles ever observed
Sunday as the day of the week to worship God.
Catholics are correct in stating
that Protestants have no other authority than the Pope for keeping the
first day of the week instead of the seventh day that God commanded.
Protestants bear that name because they protested certain Catholic
practices and came out of that church. Ironically, they brought with
them the days instituted by that church. Catholics do not consider Gods
word contained in the Holy Bible infallible. They do consider the Pope
infallible.
When Jesus said that "man
shall live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"
(Mt 4:4) He was quoting from the Old Testament. (Deut. 8:3) He
consistently upheld the word of God contained in the Old Testament,
including the seventh day Sabbath.
John, the apostle that Jesus
loved, was inspired to write in the New Testament, "He that saith,
I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth
is not in him." (1 John 2:4)
For those who wish to pursue this
subject further here is a good place to start. Click the CGI Home Page
icon; scroll to bottom of page, click on literature, scroll down until
you see the title, "Sunday-Saturday…Which?" You can read it
on line, download it, or request a printed copy via Email or Phone Call.
"The truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) Will you accept
it? |
