Christmas is a celebration of the fact that Jesus “came unto his own.” It’s a great tragedy that Jesus’ own people did not receive him. But even though they didn’t, we can receive him; anyone can receive Jesus through repentance and faith. And if we do, we become the children of God. That’s very good news, and it’s a message worth celebrating. Read More ...
And if we acknowledge Jesus as the king, we also recognize that he is the sovereign ruler of our lives. We submit to him and obey his will for our lives. We recognize his authority over us as our king. Read More ...
False teachers typically want to make the Gospel as easy and attractive as possible so the most people will accept it. So they strip it down and remove the “offense of the cross” (Gal 5:11). Read More ...
It’s sad that many churches seem to have little appreciation for those who serve the congregation humbly, sacrificially, honestly, and lovingly. They take the pastor for granted and often create all kinds of problems for him. Some churches neglect, overwork, and underpay their pastors. Churches like that often chase away good pastors; they can’t keep a pastor. I’m glad that such has not been my experience. Read More ...
If you want to reduce the pastor’s fears/concerns, don’t listen to false teachers. Don’t tolerate a fake Jesus, a foreign “Spirit,” or a false “gospel.” Listen only to those who have demonstrated biblical knowledge and are thoroughly qualified. Be discerning not gullible. Read More ...
Many churches today have been deceived and corrupted by false teachers. The pastors who should be protecting the flock from immorality and deceit have failed to do their jobs. They’ve allowed the false teachers to gain authority within the church. Churches have strayed away from the simplicity of Christ and have accepted error. We must be diligent and discerning so as to avoid that outcome. Read More ...
Churches often become spiritually adulterous; they are disloyal to Christ and the gospel. They accept false teaching and become apostate. Faithful pastors do their best to prevent that from happening. They work to protect the church so that they can present it to Christ as a chaste virgin. Read More ...
We must continually be moving out of the darkness and into the light. We want to move out of the darkness of ignorance and sin and into the light of obedience and righteousness. We want to escape the darkness of ignorance and apathy and move toward the light of knowledge and commitment. We must forsake the darkness of superstition and paganism we see in our world and pursue the light of God as we find it in the Bible. And we want to help others move out of the darkness of sin into the light of salvation. We do that by proclaiming the biblical Gospel and urging people to repent and believe in Jesus. Read More ...
Disciples of Christ follow the teachings of Christ and proclaim those teachings to others. They want others to become followers of Christ. Disciples make or help make other disciples. They want to spread the Gospel so that others hear the message and respond in repentance and faith. Read More ...
This is a message from Brandon Bell, missionary to the Dominican Republic.