Arise and Overcome!
Satan’s attacks are relentless–present in every area of our society. Therefore, Christians must constantly engage in a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of humanity, and the salvation of souls. We must arise and meet the challenges of the day with faith and conviction, knowing that victory belongs to our God. For this reason, the Southwest Eldership decided to create an annual event that would help promote spiritual growth for every member of the body of Christ. The Arise!…
What the Church Needs Today!
As Christians, we understand that the world needs God’s love, and if they are to truly receive God’s love, they must obey His word (Acts 2:38-41; 8:12-14). This being true, what the world needs now is for us to fulfill our sacred responsibility of convincing them of the need to obey God (2 Cor. 5:11), which means we must be willing and ready to share the gospel of Christ. Yet, for that to happen, what does the church need today?…
The Doctrine of Christ – William Woodson
Of interest within its own right, and in view of ongoing discussions of importance among our people, is the determination of what is meant by the statement, “the doctrine of Christ,” as given in 2 John 9. As remarkable as it may seem, there is difficulty and uncertainty in the minds of some as to the meaning of this expression. The following is offered as worthy of consideration in determining its meaning. There is a significant combination of statements about…
Bible-Toting Christians – Kerry Clark
I don’t know if you are familiar with the history of the Pony Express. The Pony Express ran from Saint Joseph, Missouri to San Francisco, California. That is a distance of 1966 miles. The trip was made in around ten days. The fastest trip ever made was seven days and 17 hours and the rider was carrying Lincoln’s Inaugural Address. Forty men were normally used to make the trip. The Express had 500 of the best horses money could buy.…
A Jealous God? – John Haffner
In the workplace, an employee who is jealous of his coworker’s promotion is not a good example. Within a family, a woman who is jealous of her brother’s new car would not be praised for it. Among married couples, a jealous husband who distrusts his wife and tracks her every action is not behaving righteously. The word “jealous” seems to be universally regarded as a negative trait. Why then does the Bible so frequently describe the God of Heaven as…
Attitudes Toward Our Brethren – Ronnie Scherffius
The word unity is found only three times in only two books of Scripture. David wrote ,“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Ps. 133:1). As much as it is good for brethren to be one, God provided those things necessary that brethren might “come in the unity of the faith” (Eph. 4:13) and by His inspired apostles both admonished and instructed how we might maintain unity: “I therefore, the prisoner of…
The Greatest Compliment Ever Given
Recent studies have shown that taking the time to offer a simple compliment has a great impact on the mood and emotional well-being of both the giver and the receiver. No one should really be surprised by that information. Solomon said long ago “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Pro. 25:11). “The tongue of the wise is health” (Pro. 12:18). Everyone appreciates a good compliment from time to time. Far greater than a…
The Message People Need – Kevin W. Rhodes
People choose churches for a lot of very peculiar reasons. Some judge a church by the friendliness of the people. Others judge a church by the size and beauty of the building. You would think more people would judge a church by the message that church represents and the message they hear when they go there. Of course, I guess in some cases they do. They go to hear a message that suits them, tells them they are all right,…
A Healthy Church is Opportunistic
As we look to our own congregational health, we would do well to consider what Jesus said to the 7 churches in Asia Minor. Those ancient congregations mirror our own in many ways. Their struggles we’re similar, their strengths and weaknesses were similar, their needs were similar, and their work was similar. One positive characteristic discussed is the ability to see and take advantages of opportunities when they are presented. To the church in Philadelphia Jesus said, “See, I have…
Work Out Your Own Salvation
To the church in Philippi, Paul wrote, “… work out your own salvation…” (Phil. 2:12). Furthermore, Paul wrote that we are to be ready for every good work and be careful to maintain them (Tit 2:3:1-8). Why the need to be careful? Because though we were not saved by good works, we can lose our salvation if we do not produce them! So, how should we practice working out our own salvation? First, develop Christ-like character. We do this by…
A Healthy Church is Hardworking
Annual health screenings are vital to maintaining good health. Regular oil changes are necessary to keep a vehicle in good running order. Cleaning and maintenance play a large role in the longevity of a home. So many things in life cannot function properly without periodic evaluation to ensure proper operation. The same is true with individual and congregational spiritual health. Like a doctor runs tests to examine data indicating an individual’s level of health, so God’s Word furnishes us with…
A New Command
Just before His crucifixion, Jesus identified a key mark of discipleship. He gave what He called, “a new commandment” (John 13:34). It is a command to “love one another”, and He expressed, “by this all will know” who are His disciples (John 13:34-35). However, do we know what kind of love that is and do we demonstrate it? Even though the Old Testament Scriptures required a love for one’s neighbor as self- (Lev. 19:13,18), this new command is a call…