Doing Our Part in the Lord’s Church
James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” In the scriptures, the church is many times referred to as the body of Christ in which we are the members (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18, 23; 1 Corinthians 12:27). We all understand that it is not healthy and right when […]
Does Jesus Care?
Does Jesus care when we change His nature? Some have tried to show that Jesus only did miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit. To them, this constitutes a pattern of how Jesus accomplished His work. This line of reasoning is certainly valid. For example, Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 say that baptism is […]
Did Jesus Intend to Start a Church?
Critics of the Bible and those who believe in premillennialism declare that Jesus did not intend to build a church. The critics (Infidels and those who deny inspiration and miracles) say Paul started the church, not Jesus. Premillennialists say Jesus only thought of the church after being rejected by the Jews. Both are wrong. Jesus […]
Completely Surrounded
David wrote, “You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:5-7). A man once offered a child whom he met […]
Did Jesus Exist?
In 2006, a hearing was held in an Italian court to decide whether the Catholic Church was breaking the law by teaching that Christ existed. The defendant, Enrico Righi, is a priest, and the plaintiff, Luigi Cascioli, is an atheist. Cascioli said Righi, and by extension the whole Church, broke two Italian laws. The first […]
Death Is Not the End of the Story
Of all the fears that plague the heart of man, none is greater than the fear of death. It is our greatest fear, the sum of all other fears. We are afraid to die. Life is short and so uncertain James 4:14, “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your […]
Dead While Living
“Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth” (1 Timothy 5:5-6). Dead and yet alive? How can this be? In a garden, squash plants may look lush. But in stealth, the […]
Conditions for Church Membership
The Riverbend Community Church in Ormond Beach, Florida, has posted the conditions for membership in their church on their website. Membership may be accomplished by meeting six criteria: I don’t know what you think, but I believe it would be easier to get a driver’s license or to get into some universities than it would […]
Am I Narrow-Minded for Believing in One Church?
When people hear me say, “Jesus has only one church” it must sound very narrow-minded. I understand their feelings and take no offense to their criticism because it’s likely that they haven’t investigated the Bible. My responsibility as a preacher is to explain that the “body” and the “church” are one and the same. The […]
Conditions for Membership in the Lord’s Church
The Bible speaks of the church in two senses, all the saved (universal, Matt. 16:18) and saints who band together in a certain area (local, 1 Cor. 1:2). It is God’s desire that each and every man be a member in the universal church and a local church. In this article we will study the […]