Tag truth

the Amazing WORD

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The Amazing Power of God’s Word

You know, the Word of God is like a hidden gem for all of us believers. It’s more than just pages filled with text; it’s our go-to guide, a wellspring of truth, and an incredible tool for our spiritual journey. Seriously, if you really pay attention to its teachings, you’ll uncover so many benefits! When we dig into the scriptures, we see how God shows us His will, gives us solid truth, helps us stand strong in our faith, and lights up our paths. How cool is that?

Knowing the Will of the Lord (Ephesians 5:17)

Ephesians 5:17 exhorts, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” In a world clouded by confusion, the Bible unveils God’s will for humanity. It reveals His universal desires, such as salvation for all (2 Peter 3:9, KJV: “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”) and holy living (1 Thessalonians 4:3). By meditating on Scripture, as Psalm 119:11 (KJV) states, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee,” believers align their lives with God’s purposes. The Word acts as a divine compass, guiding us to avoid folly and live according to His eternal plan.

Objective Truth in a Deceptive World (John 17:17)

In John 17:17, Jesus prays, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” The Bible stands as the unchanging standard of truth in an age of shifting values. As 2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) declares, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God,” it is a reliable foundation for faith and practice. This truth sanctifies believers, setting them apart for God’s service by renewing their minds (Romans 12:2). It also guards against deception, as Jesus used Scripture to defeat Satan’s lies (Matthew 4:4-10). In a world prone to error, the Word anchors us in divine truth, enabling us to live with understanding.

A Ready Answer for Our Faith (1 Peter 3:15)

The Word equips believers to share their hope in Christ. 1 Peter 3:15 instructs, “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” Scripture strengthens our faith (Romans 10:17, KJV: “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”) and prepares us to share the gospel with humility and reverence. Whether answering skeptics or encouraging seekers, the Bible provides the foundation for our testimony, ensuring our words reflect God’s truth and grace (Colossians 4:6).

Direction for Our Lives (Jeremiah 10:23; Psalm 119:105)

Jeremiah 10:23 acknowledges, “The way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” Paired with Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” this reveals the Bible’s role as a guide. Human wisdom falters (Proverbs 16:9), but Scripture illuminates both immediate decisions and long-term goals. Whether facing trials or choices, the Word offers wisdom (Joshua 1:8) and warnings (Proverbs 14:12). By following it, believers walk confidently in God’s purposes.

The Word is “quick, and powerful” (Hebrews 4:12, KJV), transforming hearts, comforting in affliction (Psalm 119:92), and fostering intimacy with God (John 15:7). It equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17), enabling us to live with purpose, anchored in the truth and guidance of God’s Word.

agape

spencer

The Power of the Tongue

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The way we speak to and about each other carries significant weight in shaping our relationships. Scripture offers guidance on this topic.

Speak Truthfully: The foundation of all godly communication is truth. Proverbs 12:22 tells us, “Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.” Truthfulness honors God and fosters trust between people. Ephesians 4:25 reinforces this, saying, “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.” The bond between believers, and even in families or friendships, grows strongest when it is built on honesty.

Truth-telling, however, must go hand in hand with wisdom. We are not to speak everything on our minds recklessly but what is helpful and necessary. Some have excused their rudeness by saying, “I told the truth.” Proverbs 15:28 says, “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.” Speaking truth without care can do harm, but truth delivered thoughtfully builds others up.

Assume the Best in Others: Too often, we are quick to judge motives, which leads to misunderstanding and division. We ought to give others the benefit of the doubt. Colossians 3:12-13 encourages, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any.” Assuming the best about someone promotes unity, while assuming the worst can lead to resentment. Proverbs 18:13 reminds us, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Taking time to understand is a reflection of wisdom and humility.

Speak Lovingly: Speaking the truth without love can damage relationships. Ephesians 4:15 instructs us to be “speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” When we speak lovingly, we are using our words to edify and encourage rather than tear down.

Proverbs 16:24 describes the power of loving words: “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” The way we say something can have a profound impact. Loving speech heals, uplifts, and brings peace to those who hear it.

Speak Kindly: Kindness should be evident in the way we communicate. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Graceful speech is kind, considerate, and thoughtful, seeking to bless others rather than cause harm.

Proverbs 15:1 underscores the power of kind words, noting, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” When we speak kindly, we can defuse tension, ease conflict, and promote harmony. It is often through a gentle, kind word that we can turn situations around and make peace where there was previously strife.

The Bible clearly teaches that our speech matters. These principles, when applied, strengthen relationships and reflect our relationship in Christ. In a world where words are often used to divide, we have the opportunity to use ours to build others up, promote unity, and spread the love of God.

Agape,

Spencer

Spencer is an evangelist for the Franklin & Juniper St church of Christ in Borger Texas. We invite you to visit with us to learn about what God wants for our lives.

The Truth sets us free and makes people mad

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“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal 4:16).  

The New Testament recounts the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It tells us about the love of God through the sacrifice of Christ. We also find instances where the truth elicited strong and often negative reactions from people of the time.

The Truth has the power to disturb, unsettle, and even anger those who encountered it. The stories in the NT serve as a timeless reminder that the truth, though uncomfortable, has the potential to challenge the status quo, expose hypocrisy, and disrupt ingrained power dynamics.

The reactions to the truth highlight the vehement resistance toward the truth & truth tellers. Knowing this we can be better prepared to proclaim the truth with resilience, confidence, and determination.

5 things the TRUTH does.

In today’s diverse world, where ideologies clash and beliefs vary, the concept of objective truth is often lost on many. A closer examination of scriptures reveals that the truth is both unwavering and, at times, divisive.

Paul warns us that some will turn away from the truth toward their own lusts, (2Timothy 4:3-4). Jesus’ own teaching was difficult for some and they turned away from our Lord, walking no more with Him, (John 6:60-66). We still see this same thing when people fail to understand the truth.

The exclusivity of truth is underscored in passages like John 14:6, Mark 16:15-16, and Acts 4:12. These verses assert that the path to truth is narrow and requires faithful obedience. While the gospel is open to all, (Mark 16:15), it maintains the exclusivity of salvation through faith in Christ, repentance to sin, and water baptism.

Moreover, the unchanging and unalterable nature of truth is emphasized in 1Peter 1:23-25, Psalm 119:160, and 2Timothy 1:13. The very nature of truth requires that it be unchanging. Subjectiveness is confusing, changing, and unstable. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1Cor 14:33; cf Matt 7:24-29).

Yet, the unyielding nature of truth can be troubling to those who choose to believe otherwise. In Matthew 15:10-12 and Galatians 4:16, the Bible addresses the offense caused by the truth, creating tension and discomfort among those who resist its teachings. “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Mat 15:14).

Furthermore, truth can be seen as both hostile and divisive. The hostility arises from the clash of conflicting beliefs and is often directed toward truth tellers, (cf. 1Cor 22:21,22). Despite its divisive nature, truth brings joy to believers who embrace it, (Acts 13:48).

The Bible presents truth as a constant, exclusive, and unchanging entity that can be divisive and troubling to those who choose to turn away. While the truth may offend some, it remains a source of joy and happiness for those who embrace it wholeheartedly. The truth shall set you free.

Agape,

Spencer

This article is part 2 of a series titled, God’s Moral Law. click here for part one.

You’re invited to attend one of our services at the church of Christ on Franklin and Juniper in Borger Texas.

1John 1:8 what is TRUTH?

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What is the TRUTH? Cf. John 18:38.

Transparent. simple. John 8:32.

Reviewable. Acts 17:11.

Universal. Mar 16:15; Mat 28:19; Acts 10:34.

Testable & Temperate. 1Thess 5:21; Gal 4:16.

Heavenly. James 3:17; John 17:17.

The Franklin and Juniper church of Christ begins an overview study of the book of 1John. If you live in the Borger area, We invite you to join us at 9:30am each Sunday Morning for the next few weeks.

Click here for the Overview Chart and links to other study outlines in this series.

Increase our FAITH

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add to your faith…

“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5).

All of us could use a little bit more faith, and if we had the faith of a mustard seed, we could move mountains (cf. Luke 17:6).

The word ‘Faith’ can be confusing. In one place it says, “Where is your faith?” Yet, in another place it says that FAITH was once delivered (cf. Luke 8:25; Jude 3).

In one place it says, “faith cometh by hearing,” and in another it says that faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

It’s easy to see how we become confused by this very complex and powerful word. It’s up to us to study and to understand what it is the Lord is conveying through this little word.

Let’s look at faith.

The Greek word translated ‘FAITH’ is; pistis; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: –assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity. (W.E. VINES)

That’s the definition of the word, but to fully appreciate FAITH, we need to look into scripture for its use. Would it surprise you to learn that scripture records FAITH in 7 different ways?

FAITH as it is used in the scriptures.

What we usually think when we say “FAITH” is BELIEF. “But without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb 11:6; cf John 12:42). Consider that James uses belief and faith synonymously, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (Jas 2:18-19).

Another common way we understand FAITH is with the word TRUST. “And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm” (Matt 8:26). Abraham trusted God when he offered up the son of promise. “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure” (Heb 11:17-19; cf. Rom 9:17-20; John 14:1; Luke 7:9).

Here’s where it gets difficult for some. FAITH is also used in conjunction with OBEDIENCE. Paul wrote in Romans, “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:” “But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5; 16:26).

FAITH is also an objective content called “the faith” that is delivered. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). Jude says, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3; cf Gal 1:11,23).

FAITH is also used to mean LOYAL. To be faithful is to be loyal. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” (Heb 10:23) “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev 2:10).

Yet another way FAITH is used is seen in one’s strong personal conviction. “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph 6:16). “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs” (Rom 14:1-2).

Lastly, FAITH is listed among the 9 spiritual gifts early saints could receive during the writing of the New Testament (1Cor 12:8-9; 13:2; Matt 17:20)

As you can see, FAITH is a very complex word. To disconnect it from its full meaning for one definition is to pervert the word of God.

Spencer is an evangelist for the church of Christ at Franklin & Juniper in Borger Texas.

GREAT THINGS He hath done

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“Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how GREAT THINGS the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” emph mine seb (Mark 5:19).

Jesus gave those instructions to the man he had just healed of the “legion” demon possession. This incredibly grateful man wanted to accompany Jesus wherever He would go. Jesus wouldn’t allow it, but gave him a personal mission, “tell them how GREAT THINGS the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee”

This verse impresses me as a method of personal evangelism. Before we can apply it, we must know what GREAT THINGS the Lord has done for us.

Here’s my personal list.

The Lord has been very GRACEFUL in the giving of Himself as a sacrifice, and Propitiation for sin. (Eph 2:8-9)

He has shown me how to REJOICE in times of trial. (Jas 1:2-3)

He has left EVIDENCE of His goodness. (Acts 14:17)

He demonstrated AGAPE style Love. (Rom 5:6-10)

He has delivered to us God’s TRUTH. (John 17:17)

He has given me certain TALENTS by which I can provide for the needs of my family and for helping others. (Matt 25:15)

He has given me HOPE. (Heb 6:19)

He has given me access to INTERCESSORY prayer which is unavailable to those outside of Christ. (Rom 8:34; Heb 4:16)

He has taught me how to love my NEIGHBORS. (Matt 22:39)

He has given me every GOOD GIFT & perfect Gift. (Jas 1:17)

Lastly, but not least, He has provided for me SALVATION through obedience to the Gospel. (1Cor 15:1-4)

This list is certainly not comprehensive, but it does represent some of the GREAT THINGS He has done. I have another more private and personal list of GREAT THINGS the Lord has done.

What about you? Do you have a list? We sing the song, “Count your blessings,” do you know what some of them are?

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee” (Psalm 139:17-18).

Perhaps you would like to make a note of the many GREAT THINGS the Lord has done for you?

______________  ______________  ______________

______________  ______________  ______________

______________  ______________  ______________

4 Wise Little Creatures pt3/4 Locusts

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the UNITY of the Locusts.

God uses nature to teach spiritual lessons. “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee.” (Job 12:7).

This article looks at another wise creature, the Locusts; “The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands;” (Prov 30:27)

The wisdom of the Locusts is about UNITY. Today, our society has a perverted view of UNITY. It’s being defined as having conflicting goals, conflicting agendas, and conflicting beliefs yet calling ourselves one. Is that what the Bible says?

While there’s something to be said about being kind to people with different beliefs, biblical UNITY is about so much more.

We are to be kind and to live in peace with all; “If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men.” (Rom 12:18) However, biblical UNITY stretches far beyond just living at peace with folks. Unity could be explained on a spectrum…

UNIVERSALLY, we’re all living creatures, but are we in unity just because we have existence? Let’s ask the wolf & the lamb.

We often times define unity on a NATIONAL level, but we all recognize that this kind of unity is fleeting.

Unity can be seen by the INSTITUTIONS people agree together to support. This gets us closer to understanding unity.

TRUTH has the best chance of bringing about unity, but we have trouble unifying when everybody has their own truth.

A final approach to unity can be defined as two or more YEARNING for the same goal, agenda, or purpose. This is where we will learn the wisdom of the LOCUSTS, Unity through a desire for the same thing.

Calling for UNITY requires those unifying to come together under a set of core values and goals. What are some unifying qualities found in the scriptures?

A great place to start is with the words of Paul found in Ephesians 4; “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Here we see that unity is UNITY of the Spirit. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul writes about the ONENESS of the body, the Spirit, hope, Lord, Faith, Baptism and One God and Father of all. Here we learn that UNITY of the Spirit is more about God and less about self.

We try to define UNITY through our own agenda, but this would lead to as many agendas as there are people in the world. Biblical Unity is UNITED with the purposes of God.

This brings us to a second idea about how to find UNITY; we will never find unity through NARCISSISM. Biblical UNITY is seen in selflessness not selfishness, Christ being the best example. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

A third passage that clearly defines UNITY is 1Cor 1:10; “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” This UNITY only works IN Christ.

Building on these three we realize the need for this fourth piece of UNITY. An orchestra cannot be in unity while everyone plays from a different sheet of music, so too the church cannot be united without the TIMELESS Word of God, His Scripture. “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” (Psalm 119:160).

Lastly, People coming together with varying levels of maturity can achieve UNITY if we all have a YEARNING to do the Will of the Lord. “Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;” (1Peter 2:1-2). May this wisdom of the Locusts can help us to develop Biblical Unity.

That You May Know

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We have started a podcast site for those who prefer hearing a short message on the go.

It’s called, “THAT YOU MAY KNOW.”

Many of the podcast will be about 12 minutes long, divided into two 6 minute sections. (Except the first episode, which was the test run to learn how the website worked.)

The first half will be about a particular Bible text.

The second half will be applications drawn from the text.

Our aim is to provide an additional method for you to discover more of God’s word, THAT YOU MAY KNOW the truth and that the truth shall set you free.

How to have Biblical UNITY

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“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” [Eph 4:13]

Every few years there is a call for UNITY. Nobody likes arguing nor complaining. We all seek for UNITY to avoid such fighting.

It would seem that many think, as long as there’s no arguing, then UNITY must therefore exist. While this may give the appearance of UNITY, it is not biblical UNITY.

What we have is peace, but not UNITY. “If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men.” [Rom 12:18]

What must exist for us to have biblical UNITY?

Fraternity or Fellowship? Living at peace with others is key to developing UNITY, but there’s much more involved in developing Biblical UNITY.

To illustrate the problem, answer this question; If two math professors are kind to one another, yet one teaches 2+2=8,346, do they have Mathematical Unity? Certainly not. While they may be agreeable, they do not agree on the facts, therefore they are not in UNITY. They have Fraternity, but not UNITY.

This illustration brings us to the very FIRST condition needed in developing Biblical Unity. An UNDERSTANDING of the Will of the Lord is essential to establishing Biblical Unity.

“whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ; [Eph 3:4]

“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest, haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them.” [Acts 28:27]

“Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.” [1Tim 1:7]

“Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” [Eph 5:17]

Without agreement on the doctrine of Christ, how can two walk together? [Amos 3:3]

Next, we can never achieve UNITY if we fail to be NICE in our words & deeds. “Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,” [1Cor 13:4]

Next, without personal INTEGRITY there can be no UNITY. Integrity is defined as; adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. We may speak about UNITY all we want, but without INTEGRITY no one will believe us. That’s hypocrisy. “If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” [1John 1:6]

Biblical Unity must also include TENACITY for the Truth without wavering. It should go without saying that UNITY is based on the TRUTH of God’s word. [John 17:17] “that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;” [Eph 4:14]

Lastly, since we’re not perfect and we’re all in a state of growing and maturing, we may not yet know what we ought to know. People coming together with varying levels of maturity can achieve UNITY if we all have a YEARNING to do the Will of the Lord. With this Yearning, we can still have UNITY because we all want to learn and do the will of the Lord. This is the best understanding of “Unity of the Faith” in Eph 4:13. It doesn’t mean that we all have the exact same understanding. What it means is that we all have access to the same information, God’s word and our desire, YEARNING, to know the Word.

“Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;” [1Peter 2:1-2]

With these 5 elements we can develop Biblical Unity.

U- Understanding the will of the Lord.

N- Nice words & Deeds

I- Integrity

T- Tenacity, consistency

Y- Yearning to know the will of the Lord

–Spencer

The Strange Church

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There’s a bittersweet scene in Ezra chapter 3 during the time when the exiles, returning from 70 years of captivity, were rebuilding the temple that had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.

As they laid the foundation, all the younger folks, “…praised the Lord, because the foundation was laid.” But the older ones, the ones who had seen the first temple built by Solomon, “wept with a loud voice.” [Ezra 3:12; cf. Haggai 2:3]

Why such a disparity in the reaction between the two groups? It is the answer to this question about which I want to speak.

The reason for the weeping was that the older one’s could still remember how beautiful the first temple had been. They could remember the gold plating, the cedar paneling, the incredible beauty. The younger ones had no point of reference, therefore they rejoiced while the others wept.

POINT OF REFERENCE

The religious world is suffering from this same thing today. Many religious, churchgoing folks are looking for a church based upon their social programs, entertainment and food options. Why? It would be easy to just say that their stomachs have become their gods.

“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” [Philippians 3:19]

You would be mostly right. But let me suggest that another part of the reason this is so is since people have been separated from the truth about a sound church for so long they don’t even recognize one when they see it. There are some who have never even heard the truth on certain matters. They’ve never seen a sound church.

You may think I’m referring to denominationalism, but no sir. I’m speaking about the Lord’s church. The Lord’s body is suffering from this failure in having a sound POINT OF REFERENCE.

It is certainly true that denominations have ruined the truth about worship and the work of the church, Paul called it a perversion, and therefore many people of the world only think of the church as a benevolence or social welfare institution. They don’t even consider the church as a teaching organization.

The Strange Church

There was a time when Christians were thought of as strange. Peter said, “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” [1Peter 4:4]. He also said that members of the Lord’s body were, “a peculiar people” [1Peter 2:9].

Many of our ‘denominational’ minded brethren have never heard the truth on subjects like, institutionalism or the errors of the social gospel. Instead they’re rejoicing that they have ‘youth pastors’ & ‘children’s church’ and many other such perversions of the Gospel.

I know this to be true because I’ve asked of their members, “Do you know why we’re separate from you?” To a person they say no! One person was super excited to tell me the news that they found a ‘youth minister.’ I asked, “what is that, aren’t the biblical youth ministers the older people of the congregation?” [Titus 2:4] Yes, they think it strange.

Think about this; it was the strangeness of Christ that drew people to Him and His church. Strange in that He taught the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. [John 17:17]

He didn’t give His life on a cross to bring about an earthly kingdom and earthly bliss [Mat 10:34]. No Sir! He died to bring reconciliation between mankind and God. [1John 2:2]. This is not to say that joy cannot be found, it’s just not the work (responsibility) of the Lord’s church. Peace & Joy are blessings for people who, having put on Christ in baptism, are in Christ [Ephesians 1:3].

The Lord’s church is a teaching organization [1Timothy 3:15]. We are to reach out to the spiritually lost of this world with the Gospel message and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then we are to teach these Christians “to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” [Matthew 28:18-20]

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” [Romans 14:17]