Gospel meeting

In a little over a month, we will hold our spring gospel meeting. Steve Reeves, who preaches in Benton, Illinois, will come and preach a series of lessons. He will speak at all three services on Sunday, April 17th, and every following evening Monday through Friday (April. 18-22) at 7 pm. All are encouraged to attend.

Why are we having this meeting? The gospel of Jesus Christ will be proclaimed each time we meet. We have not invited Steve to come and preach his own ideas about spirituality. We expect that he will only preach the pure word of God (Rom. 1:16). He will do his best to edify the Christians here (Eph. 4:15-16). This edification is why people often refer to these meetings as revivals. By attending, Christians can expect to be revived and stirred up to good works (Titus 2:14)!

Not only will this meeting build up the saints, it will also provide opportunities for members of the community to visit. We can invite our friends and co-workers to hear the gospel (Mark 16:15). Many of our religious friends attend elsewhere and have their own recurring commitments on Sundays and Wednesdays. Meeting every night of the week will create more opportunities for them to visit.

So what can people expect when they attend Monday night through Friday night? First, we will simply welcome those who visit. They will not be “pounced” upon. Bibles will be available for those who do not have one. There will be singing, prayers and a sermon. There will not be a collection taken up as this is done on Sundays for the local church (I Cor. 16:1). 

Visitors will be greeted warmly and encouraged to listen to the message carefully. If they have any questions, they will be welcomed to ask. As Christians, we simply want to go to heaven by doing the will of the Father Please make plans to come and worship with us April 17-22.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Chuck

Consequences of standing for nothing

Recently I heard a lyric to a song on the radio that goes, “If you stand for nothing, you will fall for everything.” This line immediately made me think of what the apostle Paul told the brethren at Ephesus: “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive,” (Eph. 4:14).

Nobody in their right mind wants to be deceived, especially regarding Biblical teaching. The sad reality is that many people are being deceived though, and we need to everything we can to stop it. How can we prevent it from happening? And how can we determine if we are being deceived? The Lord has provided many aids, but we will just focus on the ones Paul mentioned in Ephesians.

First: Grow up

The first thing the apostle told the saints was to “be not children”. God’s people need to grow up, meaning they need to increase their faith (II Pet. 3:18). Even though Christians are always God’s children, this text it is talking about maturity. Those who never get grounded in Him will remain a “babe” in the faith and will struggle to discern good and evil (Heb. 5:13-14). The goal of every convert ought to be to desire the spiritual milk as a babe and then progress to the spiritual meat as soon as possible (Heb. 5:12).

Second: Do not believe everything you hear

The Ephesians’ church was told to not be carried away with every wind of doctrine. It is one thing to be trusting, but we should not take this too far. God’s people are commanded to test the spirits to see whether they are of God (I John 4:1). Our faith should not change or become unstable every time we hear someone make a claim – we are supposed to be rooted in the doctrine of Christ (II John 9). Many teachings sound Biblical but lack scriptural support. Phrases like “baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace” or “cleanliness is next to godliness” and “accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and you will be saved” might sound like the doctrine of Christ, but they are not.

Third: Remember that religious teachers are just men

Paul also instructed the Ephesians’ brethren to not to be tossed about by the trickery and cunning craftiness of men. Many people elevate the words of religious teachers and even follow them blindly. Those who claim to be teachers of God’s word must be held to that standards it contains (I Pet. 4:11). The mere fact that Paul told these brethren to not fall for their teachings is proof that the claims of religious teachers should be verified with God’s word and challenged when wrong. Even the apostle Peter was rebuked for his sinful behavior (Gal. 2:11). False teachers will desire to be elevated, but it can only happen if we allow it.

Forth: Know that you can have victory

The mere fact that these brethren were given instructions about what they should not allow is evidence these things can be prevented. As Jesus pointed out, we can know the truth, and the truth will set us free (John 8:32). We must use this truth! If someone is teaching error, we can correct them (Acts 18:26-28). If this person does not change what they teach, we can walk away from him (Matt. 10:14). Remember, we can resist even the devil himself (James 4:7).  Let us all heed these words and not be children who are carried about with every wind of doctrine.

                                                                                      Chuck