Even though God COULD know everything, He has decided NOT to know–generally speaking–how we will act under pressure. God’s purpose is to create in us holy righteous character, which requires free moral agency and the opportunity to chose right from wrong. God tests us to see HOW we will act–that is, He tests us to get to know us better in the process of our overcoming the wrong way and accepting and living the right way. Since God knows even the secrets of our hearts (Psalm 44:21) and our thoughts (Psalm 94:11), He knows what kind of trials He can bring upon us, so that we CAN pass them, and which would not be too difficult for us to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). [Please read pages 58-69 in our free booklet– “Teach Us To Pray!” –for a further explanation of why God tests us, and why we are to pray not to be led into temptation or very difficult trials.]

Christ knew very clearly what He was saying, and He was by no means uneducated or incorrect about His statements regarding the proverbial mustard seed.

He stated in Matthew 13:31-32:

“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

The spiritual application of this parable is very clear. Christ compared the Kingdom of God with a very small seed, as it begins in a very small way. It is like a little bit of leaven, which will ultimately leaven the whole world (Matthew 13:33). Today, the gospel of the Kingdom of God is not accepted by very many, and very few–the firstfruits–respond to its message and become converted. Once they receive the Holy Spirit, they are begotten children of God and of His Kingdom–which is the Family of God that will rule on this earth, when Christ returns. Ultimately, the knowledge of God will cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea. The government of Christ will increase and will have no end (compare Isaiah 9:7). The Nelson Study Bible explains: “… the number of people who will inherit the kingdom of God will be very small at first. But though it begins like the smallest of seeds, the nucleus will enjoy growth completely out of proportion to its initial size.”

This is absolutely incorrect. Under the law, you are entitled to be excused from serving on a jury, if you have sincere religious convictions, based on the Bible, which prevent you from serving on a jury. You might be excused by a clerk, once you make your request in writing, or you may be required to appear before a judge to explain to him or her your sincere religious convictions. Our Q&A in Update # 66 (Update ending Friday, November 8, 2002), explains in detail the grounds for Biblical refusal to serve on a jury.

It is true that some clerks have taken the incorrect position that the law prohibits them to excuse you from serving because of religious reasons. However, once their misapplication of the law was explained to them, sincere Christians opposed to serving on the jury were ultimately excused.

It is important to understand exactly WHO did resurrect Jesus Christ, and that the Scripture reveals the truth in this matter.

First of all, in the referenced verse in John 2:19, Jesus, as He oftentimes did, taught by means of an allegory and in this example He spoke of His own body as symbolic of the Temple (verse 21). This especially poignant parable was given by Jesus as the Jews were assembling to observe the Passover (Compare verse 13). A few years later, when the Jews did arrest Jesus, false accusations were made by some who thought that Jesus had spoken of the literal Temple in Jerusalem (Compare Matthew 26:60-61 and Mark 14:57-59). Additionally, Jesus was mocked by some even as He was crucified–challenging Him about His statement concerning the “Temple”(Matthew 27:40 and Mark 15:29).

We have published several pieces of literature on this misunderstood topic, including a booklet, titled, “Don’t Keep Christmas,” and an Editorial, in Update #89, on the celebration of Easter.

In this Q&A, we would like to include several additional reasons, which clearly prove that it is absolutely WRONG for a true Christian to celebrate these holidays. These additional reasons are adopted from Professor Philippe Walter’s book, “Christianity–the Origins of a Pagan Religion,” copyright 2003, 2006. Walter is professor of medieval French literature, and has published numerous books on the Middle Ages. In his above-cited book, Walter makes several startling statements about the real origins of Easter and Christmas, as well as their customs.

While “forever” may indeed convey an absolute sense of being perpetual or interminable, “forever” is also used metaphorically and in a conditional sense.

The Hebrew word that is translated many times as “forever, is “owlam.” It can be found in Daniel 12:2. In this case, the English word “everlasting” is used to translate the Hebrew word “owlam”: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to everlasting contempt.” This prophesied occurrence speaks of a future time when the fate of many humans will be decided on a perpetual and eternal basis.

Jesus also taught about life that would be endless. In John 6:51, He states: “‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.'” The Greek word “aion” translated as “forever” in this passage is used by John in a similar context as he contrasted that which is temporary to that which is permanent: “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).

Surprising as it may sound to some, the Bible nowhere identifies a particular person as “the Antichrist.” Even though religious preachers and programs may be talking about the “coming Antichrist,” they really misapply certain Scriptures to promulgate such a false concept. It is correct that the Bible says that two individuals, called the “beast” and […]

Over the years, there has been much speculation about the identify of the “two witnesses.” Some fanciful and some down-right ridiculous concepts have been advanced, and there have been people at all times–it seems–claiming that they are one of the “two witnesses”, or that they know who they are.

The truth is that it has not been revealed yet who the two witnesses will be–and we strongly hold that those who may believe that THEY ARE the two witnesses are misled and are misleading others.

Some claim today, thereby inadvertently adopting the opinion of some confused Catholic “church fathers,” that the two witnesses are or will be ancient Moses and ancient Elijah or ancient Enoch, who will either be resurrected from the dead, or who have been kept alive for thousands of years in a state of “limbo”–not really being alive, and not really being dead, either. Apparently, this latter concept is alluded to in the uninspired Book of Enoch–a Jewish legend and fairy tale which has correctly been rejected as part of the inspired Word of God. Others feel that the two witnesses are two angels. However, there is absolutely NO indication in the Bible that any of these foregoing human ideas are accurate.

There is no inconsistency, but we must understand the context of the passages involved.

Titus 1:2 tells us: “… in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” God CANNOT lie. In other words, it is IMPOSSIBLE for Him to do so. Malachi 3:6 adds: “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” God’s character does not–CANNOT–change, because God has WILLED not to change in that respect. Since He has a perfect Will and a perfect character, He CANNOT do something against His own nature. It is impossible for God to sin because He has WILLED never to sin. And His Will is perfect. To put it still differently, God CAN DECIDE to make something impossible with Him.

Note another example when something has BECOME unalterable–so that even God cannot change it. Due to a perfect unconditional promise, He binds Himself never to deviate from it. Since breaking an unconditional promise is tantamount to lying, it is impossible for God to break His unconditional Word. We read in Genesis 9:11 about one of God’s unconditional promises in this way: “Thus I establish My covenant with you:… never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

As we point out in our booklet, “Should You Fight in War?,” it is wrong for a Christian to take the life of another human being in war or otherwise, including in “self-defense.” But does this mean that a Christian must do NOTHING when he or a loved one is being attacked? The Bible does not say that at all. In fact, we have a tremendous responsibility for action in those kinds of circumstances–but we must know what exactly is required of us. Most will disagree with the following comments, because human nature is unwilling and incapable of obeying God and His Law. True Christians have no alternative but to do exactly what God commands–however unpopular and difficult and even wrong in the eyes of man this approach might be.

For an answer to this important question, we are quoting at length from our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?“:

“The question boils down to this:… Do we believe in God and rely on Him for our protection, having the faith that it is GOD who is our protecting shield…? Do we think that God is incapable of helping us in certain circumstances?…