The local church is God’s divine organization. It is organized according to the specific instructions of God. It is His revealed will that local churches be made up of elders (also called bishops and pastors), deacons, and saints (Philippians 1:1). A model church follows this pattern of organization. This is not to say that local […]
For a church to be a model church, a church that represents Christ well and that other local churches appreciate, and even want to emulate, it must have harmony among its members. The only kind of church that is pleasing to God is a unified one. The first thing that is needed for a church […]
Tolerance of sin is a dagger in the heart of any local church. Paul was forced to remind the church at Corinth of this when they allowed a sexually immoral member to go undisciplined, seemingly, taking pride in their open-mindedness toward sin. 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 (KJV) 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye […]
When the church first began, the Lord added to it daily (Acts 2:47). Things have certainly changed since then. Most churches have gotten smaller over the years. There are many reasons for this, several that are out of our control. The world itself has changed and most people have a different attitude towards God than […]
Local churches are made up of children of God who agree to work together in specific geographical locations. In the New Testament, we read of local churches in places such as Jerusalem, Rome, Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, etc. It is God’s will that those who obey the gospel and are added to the universal church of […]
Pentecostal churches, such as the Assemblies of God, teach that all true believers experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Here is a quote from them concerning the purpose of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. “For salvation? No, for we are justified by faith. For life and service? Yes! Jesus commanded His disciples not […]
Ephesians 5:15 (ESV) 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, That life is full of trouble is not simply a pessimistic viewpoint taken by those with a melancholic mentality, but something confirmed by the Word of God. Job 14:1 (ESV) 1 “Man who is born of a woman […]
Ephesians 5:15 (ESV) 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, Friends are precious. We are all blessed to have them. However, there are good friends and bad friends. Some are fair-weather friends; then, some friends are a constant part of our lives. Solomon helps us to put friendship into […]
Ephesians 5:15 (ESV) 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, There is not anything wrong with having material things. There is not even anything wrong with being rich, as long as being rich is not the goal of your life. Paul once said, “…those who desire to be rich […]
Ephesians 5:15 (ESV) 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, This is the time of year when we give gifts to our loved ones. This often includes putting things together since many gifts need to be assembled. When this is the case, we have one of two choices to […]