• The One Church

    Labels 

    by
    Travis Main
    Published on 11-28-2011 06:25 PM  Number of Views: 749 
    1. Categories:
    2. Christian Living,
    3. The One Church,
    4. Liberalism,
    5. Anti-ism,
    6. Moderates,
    7. Christianity,
    8. Sharing the Gospel,
    9. Authority of the Scriptures,
    10. Postmodernism

    Over the years, it has been my pleasure to worship with many brothers and sisters in many different locations in the United States. If I asked someone to visit these congregations and describe them to me in two words or less, there would no doubt be a great variety of descriptive terms. Some of these terms would likely be: Liberal, charismatic, institutional, non-institutional, fundamental, one-cupper, mainstream, non-cooperative, Holy Roller, legalistic, anti, instrumental, non-instrumental, conservative, contemporary, traditional, unorthodox, orthodox, normal, post-modern, and I am certain a number of other monikers I have not included. Certainly not all of these congregations are standing in the truth. God’s desire is that they all walk in truth for His Words will judge them in the final day (John 12:48).

    Consider this in regard to labels: most people hate to be labeled by others. One reason is the desired label of an individual is quite often not the ...
    Read More Read More

    HOW TO BUILD A STRONG CHURCH … 

    Published on 11-03-2011 06:15 PM  Number of Views: 1500 
    1. Categories:
    2. The One Church,
    3. Church of Christ

    By GL Clair

    Every True Christian wants the congregation that he is a member of to be a sound and strong church, exerting good influence in the community, dwelling together in peace, etc. The only way that this can be achieved is for the membership of the congregation to continue to exert effort to be the kind of growing Christian that Peter admonishes in 2 Peter 3:18, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him (be) the glory both now and forever. Amen" {ASV}. Some things that will aid in building a strong, sound church are:

    1. STRONG BIBLE PREACHING AND TEACHING:
    Acts 20:32, "And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build (you) up, and to give (you) the inheritance among all them that are sanctified".
    2. EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP {Good elders}:
    1 Peter 5:2-3, "Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not
     ...
    Read More Read More

    The Peril of Small Steps 

    Published on 03-11-2011 04:03 PM     Number of Views: 627 
    1. Categories:
    2. The One Church,
    3. Church of Christ

    by Tom Wacaster

    A careful study of church history is important if for no other reason than the fact that it will give the student a deep appreciation for the abundant blessings that God has given to him. Abraham Lincoln is credited with having said, “The person who does not respect the past has very little to offer the future.” While it is true that those who forget history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, it is also true that a knowledge of past history will serve as a safeguard against apostasy in the present. The first five-hundred years of church history say a lot about men in general and religious movements in particular. Before the pen of inspiration was laid to rest, the apostle Paul warned the brethren at Thessalonica that the “mystery of lawlessness doth already work” (2 Thess. 2:7). To the elders of the church at Ephesus     ...
    Read More Read More

    "Think On These Things" 

    Published on 01-09-2011 12:37 AM  Number of Views: 502 
    1. Categories:
    2. Denominationalism,
    3. The One Church

    "Think On These Things"—Foundations: Every denomination has some doctrines peculiar to itself. These peculiar doctrines are the basis for its existence; upon them it was founded. Without these peculiar doctrines it would have had no excuse, no foundation, for its existence. Till resent years every denomination tried earnestly and persistently to justify it existence by a constant effort to prove the truthfulness of its doctrines. Both preachers and laymen believed their doctrines, and wanted everybody else to believe them. Their doctrines were preached and debated publicly and privately. If you knew to what church a person belonged, you knew what he believed.—But all that sort of thing is changed now. You cannot tell from the label what is on the inside. With few exceptions, the denominations make no decided effort to promulgate their doctrines. As a result, their members know very little about the doctrines of their church. When a church ceases to emphasize the doctrines ...
    Read More Read More

    THE NAME "CHRISTIAN" (Names Mean Something) 

    Published on 01-09-2011 12:24 AM  Number of Views: 577 
    1. Categories:
    2. Thus Saith the Lord,
    3. Denominationalism,
    4. The One Church,
    5. Christianity,
    6. Authority of the Scriptures

    Many people will work hard to provide for their families, pay their debts, deal honestly with others in order to have a good name, for they realize that is better than otherwise. However, when it comes to religion, another attitude is assumed, and when Biblical terms are suggested, instead of human names, it is often affirmed "There is nothing in a name." A preacher once said that in the pulpit and an old sister in the back arose and exclaimed: "Praise be to Beelzebub." The preacher rebuked her, for Beelzebub is prince of the devils. She replied, "If there is nothing in a name, we can praise God in the name of Beelzebub as well as in the name of Christ".

    But what is God's attitude toward names? In the Bible names had meaning. Pharaoh's daughter named Moses, "Because I drew him out of the water." Abram meant "exalted father." God changed his name to Abraham which meant "father of a multitude" (Gen.17:5). Jacob meant ...
    Read More Read More

    Four Types of Worship 

    by
    Don Gelles
    Published on 01-04-2011 05:10 AM  Number of Views: 2154 
    1. Categories:
    2. Thus Saith the Lord,
    3. The One Church,
    4. Church of Christ,
    5. Worship

    Four Types Of Worship

    Here is an important truth that is hard for some people to hear: NOT ALL WORSHIP IS PLEASING TO GOD. Notice how the Bible proves this true:

    • Cain: Genesis 4:5
    • Nadab & Abihu: Leviticus 10:1-3
    • The Corinthian Congregation: 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

    In each of these examples we are shown that the worship that was offered was found by God to be unacceptable. What is not debated is that those involved worshiped. What is clear however, is that the worship they offered was not pleasing to God and was rejected. What is true of these individual in the past is also true for people today. The Bible teaches us that God does not leave us in the dark when it comes to what is acceptable and unacceptable in the area of worship.

     I. Unacceptable Worship
    A. Vain Worship

    • Matthew 15:7-9
    • Worship that is according to the traditions of man.


    B. Will Worship
    ...
    Read More Read More

    Only Ones Going To Heaven? 

    by
    GAParker
    Published on 12-26-2010 02:00 PM  Number of Views: 1788 
    1. Categories:
    2. The One Church,
    3. Church of Christ

    “Members of the Church of Christ think they’re the only ones going to Heaven”

    by Keith Camp


    Several years ago, during a Bible study I was conducting on how a person is saved, a denominational preacher blurted out: “You and your little group believe you’re the only ones going to Heaven, don’t you?! You think that everybody who doesn’t believe and practice your convictions is going to Hell. Well, let me tell you, the Bible doesn’t teach that! And I’ll never be a part of such a narrow circle”. Here is how I responded to him:

    First, I drew on a chalk board a large circle to represent the 5.5 billion people on the earth at that time. I then wrote on the board and quoted Hebrews 11:6 and asked the preacher was it his conviction that people MUST believe in God in order to go to Heaven. He said, “Yes”.

    I then turned to the circle I had drawn and as I shaded in about 45% of it I explained that with all the atheists, agnostics, ...
    Read More Read More 7 Comments