The Gospel
Spotlight
(Electronic Edition)
(Romans 1:16)
The Gospel Spotlight is a
publication of the
Contents
Is
One
Church
By Don McClain
Can it be said that a church is a "good" church if it is not acceptable and pleasing to God? I think the answer is rather obvious. But how bout' this - Is it possible to determine whether a church is acceptable and pleasing to God? I contend that it is, because God has given us a standard by which to measure - good from evil, right from wrong, His church from man-made churches etc.
The apostle Paul said to
Timothy, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not
need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth," (2 Timothy
Consider another passage from 2 Timothy -
"16All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work." (
·
They
provide us with the doctrine of Christ - that which we are to believe, teach,
and obey -
·
They
provide us the means of reproof - proving that which we believe, teach and
practice -
·
They
provide us with a standard by which we can correct those who stray from the
straight and narrow path of the truth.
·
They
provide us with every thing we need to know in order to be acceptable and
pleasing to God.
I ask again - "Is it possible to determine whether a church is acceptable and pleasing to God?" God has revealed the doctrine within the scriptures that He wants taught. Shouldn't those who claim to be following the scriptures, be able to give book chapter and verse for what they believe, teach and practice? God has provided for us in His word all that we need so that we can discern truth from error. We can conclude from this passage that God has revealed to us what teachings and actions He has approved. Things are NOT proved to be acceptable to God just because He did not say “Thou Shalt Not” do it. Would it not then be correct to say that In order for a church to be acceptable and pleasing to God, it MUST be scriptural, or in other words, substantiated by the scriptures? Can you say that the church with which you are affiliated or familiar with is indeed scriptural in the following things?
* Name - 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Romans 16:16
*
Organization - Ephesians 5:22-25; Titus
* Worship - John 4:24; Matthew 15:7-9; Hebrews 12:
* Doctrine - John 12:48; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Timothy 4:12-16; 2 John 9
*
Terms
of admission - Mark
Can the church to which you belong provide book
chapter and verse for that which they believe teach and practice? For example,
can the
*
The name
they wear, (Methodist)
*
Substituting sprinkling for immersion, (baptism),
*
Their
organization,
*
Instrumental music in worship, etc. . . . .
If the religious group to which you belong
believes teaches, or practices anything that can't be substantiated from the
scriptures then from whence did it originate? (Matthew 15:7-9;
·
Cannot
be practiced by faith, (Romans
· Cannot be practiced in the name of Christ, (Matthew 7:21-23; Colossians 3:17).
·
Will NOT result in fellowship with God and
His Son - (1 John 1:5-7; 2 John 9; John
I truly believe that these
things are extremely important and worthy of our diligent consideration. I agree
that one denomination is just as good as another, but I humbly submit to you
that NO denomination is good,
simply because denominationalism is contrary to the scriptures, (1 Corinthians
We invite you to investigate
the teachings and practices of the
If you have ANY questions or comments, and desire further studies regarding these things please contact me at: - 501-568-1062, or by email – donmccla@msn.com. For more information about us you can also visit our website:
http://www.w65stchurchofchrist.org/My_Homepage.html
May the Lord bless you in your quest for truth . . . For it is truth that will make you free – not the doctrines and commandments of men! (John 8:32; Matthew 15:7-9).
Society’s choices of entertainment have never been kind to those seeking to honor God and live for Him, but there should be little doubt that the industry spawning current entertainment fad and fashion has sunken to new lows. In previous generations the ever-present teenage rebellion was met and countered with relatively higher standards by parents, educators, and entertainers in general. It is no longer the case!
It is regrettably true that while many parents today encourage the misbehaviors of the young by their "hands-off" approach to parenting, many educators do so by their offer of philosophical justification for the conduct and the moguls of the entertainment industry encourage anti-social behavior and mannerisms for the sake of "filthy lucre." Their ill-gotten gain will rise up to testify against their greed later in this life, as well as in final judgment (Jas. 5:3).
The general situation of this infamous industry, typified by the award of a Peoples’ Choice Award to the rapper Eminem, was recently the focus of a biting analysis of a column by Bill O’Reilly. Under the cover of "artistry," the money-hungry advance the cause of social and moral degradation (Prov. 14:34), by selling mind poison and one-way tickets to misery, as charged by the columnist. The coarsening of America is the undesirable consequence of this endeavor. The abuse of women; the portrayal of American society as a deck stacked against the poor and minorities; immediate gratification on all levels; promotion of the "gangsta" attitude; encouragement of gutter language, tattoos, and body piercings; approval of obscenity and violence; and the selling and use of dope characterize this moral abyss that has developed around Hollywood. Is this really the people’s choice, or just the Peoples’ Choice?
What can the godly do? They must continue to live their lives by divine standards (Rom. 12:1-2), pray fervently to the Father to be used to bring better times (1 Tim. 2:1-7), let the light of Christ and the gospel shine in them (Matt. 5:13-16), and seek to teach the gospel to all (Rom. 1:16). It is still the hope of the world because it points people to Christ, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). Letters to newspaper editors, church-sponsored teaching articles, and other righteous involvement might gain the attention of a few, but the personal interaction of Christians with individuals in the world will produce the most results.
O’Reilly charged that Eminem is as dangerous to society as al Qaida, but we can be thankful that God’s people have the only antidote to the moral and spiritual poison being spewed on the unsuspecting masses.
Bobby L. Graham, 24978 Bubba Trail
Athens, AL 35613 - (256)233-3509
Dr. Spock, Dr. Phil, and God
(Al Diestelkamp)
During the decade of the 60's when our children were born, almost every new mother had her own copy of a book by Dr. Benjamin Spock. Whenever a question arose about the health and well-being of children he was the one to turn to. Regarding medical advice, his was as good--and perhaps better--than most.
However, in his later years he lent his considerable influence to the crusade against spanking children as a means of discipline. Many parents, accustomed to following his advice in other matters, "swallowed" his psychology-based doctrine, rejecting the clear instruction of God's word regarding discipline.
Today another advice-giving "doctor" has emerged on the scene. Phillip McGraw, PhD, better known as "Dr. Phil," is not a medical doctor, and his advice is not strictly about the care of children, but deals with all kinds of relationship issues.
Dr. Phil gained popularity as a weekly guest on the Oprah Winfrey TV show. His straight-talking style along with his wit and cordial Texan drawl made him an instant hit. As a result he now has his own immensely popular TV show.
I like Dr. Phil. So do a lot of other people. However, his advice, which happens to be right much of the time, is rooted in psychology rather than the word of God. The fact that he is so likable must not distract us from the rejecting his advice when it is not in compliance with the Bible.
Take, for example, the issue of spanking children. Though he does not come across as adamant as some, he clearly does not approve of spanking. He devoted an entire show to the issue and questioned the effectiveness of the practice. In response to a couple who believed and practiced spanking of their unruly child, he said, "If it works so well, why are you here?" In other words, because the child still was somewhat difficult and disruptive, he concluded that their spankings were not effective. I doubt that he would apply that same test to parents who sit down with their child and tell him how much his behavior "disappoints" them. Or will he conclude that "time outs" are ineffective because the child continues to misbehave?
I do not advocate spanking because it's what my parents did to me, or even because my wife and I used that method of correction on our children. I advocate it because our Creator has revealed in His word that it is what is best for the child, the home and society. The Holy Spirit inspired one to write, "we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect" (Heb. 12:9). He went on to note that "no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous" (vs. 12). I don't get the impression that the "grievous" chastening was limited to "time out" and talk.
It is distressing to see some Christians taking worldly advice over the truth of God's word. They've read: "He who spares his rod hates his son" (Prov. 13:34); "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him" (Prov. 22:15); "Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, and deliver his soul from hell" (Prov. 23:13-14). They've read these, but the question is, do they believe God, or Dr. Phil?--
via Think on These Things, October-November-December, 2002
. . . Taken from the Gospel Observer - edited by Tom Edwardse-mail: tedwards@onemain.com
Resisting the devil is the demand of both James (4:7) and Peter (1 Pet 5:8). But how do we do that? We must have the will to resist. Some so love the world and pleasures of sin that they simply do not want to resist. "....and the lusts of your father (the devil) ye will do"— you wish to do (John 8:44). Such people do not resist: they give up — quickly, easily, gladly. God works successfully in man by getting him to "will and do after His good pleasure" (Phil 2:13). Nothing replaces "want to."
We also need a confident spirit, a "can do" attitude. We seldom rise higher than our expectation. Remember Peter? He said, "Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended...though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee" (Matt 26:33,35). He did deny and that before morning. Yet we should not expect him to renounce his claim. Later, Jesus called for him to reaffirm that bold commitment. He told Peter that in the final scene, he would measure up to it (John 21:15-19). And remember Paul’s I can do, "through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13). And we "can do" too.
We also use scripture to resist. The Bible is not a charm that scares the devil away, but its truth in man enables man to intimidate him. Jesus met the devil with "It is written" and the devil left him (Matt 4:1f). It is our "sword" to fight the devil (Eph 6:17). The devil’s strong delusion overcomes only those who "love not" and "believe not" the truth (2 Thes 2:10-12).
Prayer helps us resist. The Lord prayed for Peter in his crisis (Luke 22:32) and told him later to "watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation" (Mark 14:38). The Lord spent the night before His arrest in prayer. Paul asked brethren to pray for him that he might boldly preach as he "ought" (Eph 6:18-20). Ask God for help; he knows how to deliver (2 Pet 2:9).
We need wisdom to help us resist. James recommended pray for wisdom in time of trial (1:5). This is no fool’s game! Good judgment is absolutely necessary if we are to defeat the cunning of the devil. Successful resistance demands that we be "not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor 2:11).
It takes character to resist the devil. That means being "strong in the Lord" and "putting on the whole armor of God." The result? We will "stand against the wiles of the devil" and "withstand in the evil day" (Eph 6:10-13). The weak are devoured by Satan. Good character rejects sin. Even in the stress of hot anger, good character will "sin not...neither give place to the devil" (Eph 4:26-27). Paul sent to "know your faith, tempted you" (1 Thes 3:5). Therefore, we are urged to "resist steadfast in the faith" (1 Pet 5:9).
Good associations help our resistance to evil (Gal 6:1) as surely as evil companions corrupt (1 Cor 15:33). Good brethren "provoke unto love and good works" (Heb 10:24).
Schedule of
services
Sunday
morning;
-
Bible class;
-
Worship;
Sunday
Evening;
-
Worship
Wednesday –
-
Bible class:
Free
-
Bible correspondence courses
-
Private Bible study
Just call 1-501-568-1062 or write to the above address specifying your interest, and we will provide these things – at no cost to you!
