About the Harvest Herald
CONTACT US
I would like to take a moment to personally thank you for visiting the Harvest Herald. This site exists for one reason; to proclaim the glad tidings about Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.
We believe that God, through his Son Jesus Christ has a wonderful plan for mankind. The message of the Gospel is such good news that we feel compelled to share this message with others. This site is one way in which we hope to do just that.
We live in a very troubled world, and in very troubled times. We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God are the only real hopes for curing mankind’s troubles. We pray that as you browse the material on this site, you too will begin to see how much God loves His creation, and the glorious plans he has for its future.
As Christians, we strive to be true to God’s word, the Holy Bible. We believe that the entirety of God’s message to mankind is contained within its pages. However, we also believe very strongly that the Bible has suffered centuries of abuse at the hands of well meaning but often misguided teachers. Many refuse to hear the message of the Bible because of what others have told them the Bible says. We at the Harvest Herald are committed to prayerfully studying the Bible without pre-conceived ideas of what we feel it must teach. This has oftentimes led us to arrive at much different conclusions about what the Bible teaches than what many have traditionally believed. We believe that the Bible contains a message of hope for all of mankind. We believe that the churches of today in general do not proclaim or have misunderstood this message. We invite you to learn of this hope, not taking our word for anything, but proving to yourself with your own Bible that these things are so.
We believe that God, through his Son Jesus Christ has a wonderful plan for mankind. The message of the Gospel is such good news that we feel compelled to share this message with others. This site is one way in which we hope to do just that.
We live in a very troubled world, and in very troubled times. We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God are the only real hopes for curing mankind’s troubles. We pray that as you browse the material on this site, you too will begin to see how much God loves His creation, and the glorious plans he has for its future.
As Christians, we strive to be true to God’s word, the Holy Bible. We believe that the entirety of God’s message to mankind is contained within its pages. However, we also believe very strongly that the Bible has suffered centuries of abuse at the hands of well meaning but often misguided teachers. Many refuse to hear the message of the Bible because of what others have told them the Bible says. We at the Harvest Herald are committed to prayerfully studying the Bible without pre-conceived ideas of what we feel it must teach. This has oftentimes led us to arrive at much different conclusions about what the Bible teaches than what many have traditionally believed. We believe that the Bible contains a message of hope for all of mankind. We believe that the churches of today in general do not proclaim or have misunderstood this message. We invite you to learn of this hope, not taking our word for anything, but proving to yourself with your own Bible that these things are so.
Much of the material on this site has been written to combat what we feel are erroneous and false teachings which in our day are being proclaimed as the true Christian faith. If you have not yet heard the glad tidings about Jesus and the soon to come Kingdom of God, then these might seem confusing to you. We invite you to begin with our work entitled ‘Good Tidings of Great Joy’ for a brief summery of the Bible message and God’s plan for mankind.
It is our sincere prayer that this material will be a blessing to those who wish to come to a better understanding of God’s word. We invite you to contact us with any questions you may have; we want to be of help to you in any way possible. The Harvest Herald is a ministry committed to determining and proclaiming the truth about Jesus Christ and his wonderful purposes for mankind through a fresh and diligent study of the Scriptures. It is not affiliated with any group. We affirm neither man-made dogma nor creed, but seek to uphold the Scriptures alone as the sole rule for all matters of belief and practice. While we are not dogmatic, we are confident that the beliefs set forth on these pages are sound, logical, and most of all true to the teachings of scripture. We encourage all readers to be of an open mind, and to search the scriptures for themselves to see if these things are so. The material on this site is maintained by David J. Heintzman. It is my prayer that the information presented here will help all students of God's Word grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you have any questions, or would like further information, please feel free to contact me. I would like to be of help in any way possible. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What denomination is The Harvest Herald affiliated with?
None. We are a small completely independent group of Christians who's fellowship is based on our mutual love for God, our Savior Jesus Christ, His Word the Bible, and our desire to share God's message of 'Glad Tidings' with others.
Does The Harvest Herald share many beliefs with other evangelical groups?
Yes, and no. Our goal is first and foremost to be loyal and obedient to our Lord and Savior and to his life-giving Word. We believe that salvation by grace through faith in Jesus' ransom sacrifice on our behalf, apart from any good works on our part, is the only path to eternal life. We believe without apology that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God, and is the only source available for learning of God's truth extant.
What beliefs distinguish The Harvest Herald from other Christian Groups.
We believe that many major Christian denominations have erred in their teachings concerning the nature and oneness of God, the immortality of the soul, and eternal torment in hellfire. We believe that these doctrines were foisted upon the Church as a result of the influence of Greek philosophy which began to make inroads into the church's teachings shortly after the deaths of the apostles. We believe that these doctrines are harmful to the cause of Christ, undermine the importance of the resurrection, and are a slander upon the Creator who is all wise, all loving, all powerful, and all knowing. The Harvest Herald also believes that God, through the ransom paid by His Son Jesus Christ, has made loving provision for the teaching and conversion of all in the ages to come; the times of the restitution of all things.
Does this mean that you're a Universalist?
It depends on what you mean. We are in no way affiliated or associated with the liberal denomination(s) which generally carry the name 'Unitarian Universalist'. We do believe in the ultimate reconciliation of all mankind to their God and creator.
Isn't this in essence teaching that there is no punishment or retribution for sin?
Far from it. We believe there will indeed be punishment and retribution for sin, and that all who are unbelieving and live wickedly in this life will give an account to God and be judged accordingly. However, we do not believe that God's judgments are endless. These punishments upon the unbelieving and wicked are meted out in the express period in which the Bible states - IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
It seems from your beliefs section that you do not believe in the trinity. Can you please explain?
In our beliefs section we state that we reject that God is three persons. We reject this notion because we think it naive to assume that anyone who simply read the Bible alone, having never heard of this formulated doctrine of the trinity, would arrive at those same conclusions. We do believe however in the apostles' declaration that "There is 'one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." 1 Cor 8:6'.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the very mind, power, and personality of the Father and the Son which operate in our lives and move in the world to fulfill God's will. We believe in Jesus' declaration that "all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father". John 5:23'. To us, these scriptural injunctions are better, and carry more weight than formulated doctrines which found no place in the creeds of the church until the 3rd or 4th century A.D
How do you arrive at your interpretation of the Bible?
Through diligent study, prayer, and a careful, consistent comparison of scripture with scripture. We invite you to examine the material on this site in which we present our scriptural reasons for believing as we do. Please see our Rules For Interpreting Scripture for more information about how we arrive at our beliefs.
Do not all Christian groups claim to base their beliefs on the Bible? If so, why do your views vary considerably from the views of others?
We can only answer that to each of us, our walk with God is just that; OUR walk with God. It is not for us to judge another's motives, attempt to analyze why they believe as they do, or how they arrived at such beliefs. We can only answer for ourselves that we are bound by our conscience, the Word of God, and sound reason to affirm those things which we believe God has taught us from His infallible word. We are not dogmatic, but we are confident that our beliefs accurately represent God's message to mankind as He would have us to understand it, and to proclaim it to others.
Do you think you are right and everyone else is wrong?
The above answer applies. We would not believe as we do, or believe anything at all for that matter, if we were not convinced that we were correct.
It seems that some of your beliefs have a lot in common with other groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Christadelphians, or some Church of God Groups. Are you an offshoot of any of these groups?
No we are not, and we do not care to be associated or affiliated with any of these groups. We wish for our beliefs and our work to stand or fall on their own merit, not by association with any group, individual, or organization. Having said that, it is obvious that we do share some beliefs with some of the groups mentioned. We believe that there is truth to be found in all Christian groups to varying degrees, and rejoice in the common ground we have with others.
Do you have any materials available which I can order?
Not at this time, however anyone can feel free to copy and distribute the material on this site anyway they wish. For us, the most important thing is that the gospel be preached. We have nothing to sell, nor will we ever.
Yes, and no. Our goal is first and foremost to be loyal and obedient to our Lord and Savior and to his life-giving Word. We believe that salvation by grace through faith in Jesus' ransom sacrifice on our behalf, apart from any good works on our part, is the only path to eternal life. We believe without apology that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God, and is the only source available for learning of God's truth extant.
What beliefs distinguish The Harvest Herald from other Christian Groups.
We believe that many major Christian denominations have erred in their teachings concerning the nature and oneness of God, the immortality of the soul, and eternal torment in hellfire. We believe that these doctrines were foisted upon the Church as a result of the influence of Greek philosophy which began to make inroads into the church's teachings shortly after the deaths of the apostles. We believe that these doctrines are harmful to the cause of Christ, undermine the importance of the resurrection, and are a slander upon the Creator who is all wise, all loving, all powerful, and all knowing. The Harvest Herald also believes that God, through the ransom paid by His Son Jesus Christ, has made loving provision for the teaching and conversion of all in the ages to come; the times of the restitution of all things.
Does this mean that you're a Universalist?
It depends on what you mean. We are in no way affiliated or associated with the liberal denomination(s) which generally carry the name 'Unitarian Universalist'. We do believe in the ultimate reconciliation of all mankind to their God and creator.
Isn't this in essence teaching that there is no punishment or retribution for sin?
Far from it. We believe there will indeed be punishment and retribution for sin, and that all who are unbelieving and live wickedly in this life will give an account to God and be judged accordingly. However, we do not believe that God's judgments are endless. These punishments upon the unbelieving and wicked are meted out in the express period in which the Bible states - IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
It seems from your beliefs section that you do not believe in the trinity. Can you please explain?
In our beliefs section we state that we reject that God is three persons. We reject this notion because we think it naive to assume that anyone who simply read the Bible alone, having never heard of this formulated doctrine of the trinity, would arrive at those same conclusions. We do believe however in the apostles' declaration that "There is 'one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." 1 Cor 8:6'.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the very mind, power, and personality of the Father and the Son which operate in our lives and move in the world to fulfill God's will. We believe in Jesus' declaration that "all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father". John 5:23'. To us, these scriptural injunctions are better, and carry more weight than formulated doctrines which found no place in the creeds of the church until the 3rd or 4th century A.D
How do you arrive at your interpretation of the Bible?
Through diligent study, prayer, and a careful, consistent comparison of scripture with scripture. We invite you to examine the material on this site in which we present our scriptural reasons for believing as we do. Please see our Rules For Interpreting Scripture for more information about how we arrive at our beliefs.
Do not all Christian groups claim to base their beliefs on the Bible? If so, why do your views vary considerably from the views of others?
We can only answer that to each of us, our walk with God is just that; OUR walk with God. It is not for us to judge another's motives, attempt to analyze why they believe as they do, or how they arrived at such beliefs. We can only answer for ourselves that we are bound by our conscience, the Word of God, and sound reason to affirm those things which we believe God has taught us from His infallible word. We are not dogmatic, but we are confident that our beliefs accurately represent God's message to mankind as He would have us to understand it, and to proclaim it to others.
Do you think you are right and everyone else is wrong?
The above answer applies. We would not believe as we do, or believe anything at all for that matter, if we were not convinced that we were correct.
It seems that some of your beliefs have a lot in common with other groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Christadelphians, or some Church of God Groups. Are you an offshoot of any of these groups?
No we are not, and we do not care to be associated or affiliated with any of these groups. We wish for our beliefs and our work to stand or fall on their own merit, not by association with any group, individual, or organization. Having said that, it is obvious that we do share some beliefs with some of the groups mentioned. We believe that there is truth to be found in all Christian groups to varying degrees, and rejoice in the common ground we have with others.
Do you have any materials available which I can order?
Not at this time, however anyone can feel free to copy and distribute the material on this site anyway they wish. For us, the most important thing is that the gospel be preached. We have nothing to sell, nor will we ever.
