(2) Its Only Rule of Faith and Practice - the Scriptures

            When Jesus came to Genesareth, He was met by a group of Scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem.  They asked Him why His disciples ate bread with defiled (unwashed) hands, rather than following the traditions handed down by the ancients.  Jesus replied:

“Well did Isaias prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; and in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine the precepts (traditions) of men.’  For, letting go the commandment of God, you hold fast the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups; and many other things you do like these ... Well do you nullify the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition!” [St. Mark 7:6-9]

            As He does throughout the gospels, Jesus again refers to the written Word, a prophesy of Isaias.  Jesus accused them of laying down the Law of God and picking up the traditions of men in its place.  Jesus often accused the Pharisees of not knowing the Scripture.  St. Paul and the other disciples taught:

“For from thy infancy thou hast known the Sacred Writings, which are able to instruct thee unto salvation by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproving, for correcting, for instructing in justice; that the man of God may be perfect (complete), equipped for every good work.” [II Timothy 3:15-17]

            The only traditions that play a role in a New Testament church are those that were in effect at the time of the writing of the books of the New Testament and endorsed in them:

“Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.  Now I praise you, brethren, because in all things you are mindful of me and hold fast my precepts (traditions) as I gave them to you.” [I Corinthians 11:1-2]

“So then, brethren, stand firm, and hold to the teachings that you have learned, whether by word or by letter of ours.” [II Thessalonians 2:15]

            The Churches claim that Church traditions were in effect long before we had the New Testament.  Therefore, they argue, one must rely on both the New Testament and Church traditions.  However, this claim is misleading.  While the writings of the New Testament were not assembled into a single work until around 397 A.D., the books that make up the New Testament were all in existence and widely circulated among the early churches by 95 A.D., as documented in Chapter One.  Moreover, history records that the canon of Scripture was established by 266 A.D., as also documented in Chapter One.  Furthermore, as documented in Chapter Five, only four “Church traditions” were in existence by 397 A.D. when the New Testament was assembled into a single work:

·        Prayers for the dead (300)

·        Making the sign of the cross (300)

·        Worship of saints and angels (375)

·        Mass as a daily ritual (394)

            It is interesting to note that not even one of these traditions is endorsed in any gospel or epistle of the New Testament.  If St. Peter, or St. Paul, or St. John, or St. Jude, or St. James, or St. Luke, or St. Matthew, or St. Mark believed in the efficacy of prayers to the dead, then why didn’t a single one of these saints record the importance of doing same in any of his writings?  Why didn’t a single one of them invite the living to seek his assistance after his departure from this earth?  Moreover, why did Jesus not reveal the importance of prayers for the dead?  When they asked Him how to pray, He began with “Our Father ....”  Jesus never said a single “Hail Mary” nor did He suggest anyone else do so.  Neither did He instruct His disciples to seek the help of His deceased cousin, John the Baptist.  Moreover, Jesus did not begin His prayer to the Father with the sign of the cross, nor did He instruct others to do so.  Finally, He condemned rituals.  In fact, most of St. Matthew’s gospel, written for the Jews, addresses the futility of the Law and rituals to save.

            The Pharasetic system of salvation was based on following the Law and performing rituals.  Jesus dismissed the ability of this impotent approach to save.  He promised salvation as a free gift to those who believed in Him and He performed sign miracles (healings, etc.) to authenticate His power and authority from the Father.  When a paralytic was brought to Him, Jesus told Him his sins were forgiven.  When the Pharisees accused Him of blasphemy, since only God could forgive sins, Jesus asked them which it was easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven or arise and walk.” [free translation]  The doctors knew they could not cure the fellow and the Pharisees, the holy ones of Israel, knew they were not empowered to forgive his sins.  Jesus was demonstrating that He had the power and authority to do both and that saying one was no more difficult for Him than saying the other.  He had the power and authority to cure the body and the spirit!  The Pharisees and doctors did not have the power or authority to do either.  This is one reason why the Pharisees hated Him.  They could sell Law and ritual in the form of animal sacrifices and incense.  They could not sell the free gift He was offering!  Neither could they match it.  Jesus was asked why His disciples did not follow the Law and fast like the Pharisees:

“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom (Jesus) is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  And no one puts a patch of raw (new) cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse rent is made.  Nor do people pour new wine into old wineskins, else the skins burst, the wine is spilt, and the skins are ruined.  But they put new wine into fresh skins, and both are saved.” [St. Matthew 9:15-17]

            The old garment and old wine skins represent the errant Pharasetic system of salvation through keeping the Law and performing rituals.  The new cloth and the new wine represent the way of salvation, the offer of the free gift of salvation.  Jesus explained that you pick one or the other.  The two cannot be mixed.  If the new wine is placed into old skins, it will rupture the skins and both the skins and the wine will be lost.  The Holy Spirit (new wine) cannot enter into one who holds to the Law and rituals for salvation.  He (the man) would rupture, split.  On the other hand, if the new wine (Holy Spirit) is placed into new skins (those who have been reborn, new creations in Christ), both will be saved.

            The four traditions listed above were either in existence at the time the books of the New Testament were being written, as claimed by the Church, but for some strange reason were hidden by the writers (not included in the gospels and epistles) or else they came after the writings (books of the New Testament) were completed, as history clearly shows.

            Additional “Church traditions” that came long after 397 A.D. and completion of the New Testament as a single work include:

·        Worship of Mary (431)

·        Introduction of purgatory (593)

·        Prayers directed to Mary (600)

·        Worship of images and relics (786)

·        Use of holy water (850)

·        Canonization of dead saints (993)

·        Fasting during the season of Lent (998)

·        Celibacy for the priesthood (1079)

·        Use of prayer beads (1090)

·        Seven sacraments suggested by Peter Lombard, Bishop of Paris (circa 1150)

·        Sale of Indulgences (1190)

·        Transubstantiation defined by Pope Innocent III (1215)

·        Confession of sins to a priest instituted by Pope Innocent III (1215)

·        Bible added to Index of Forbidden Books (1229)

·        Cup forbidden to laity at communion by Council of Constance (1414)

·        Doctrine of seven sacraments affirmed (1439)

·        Doctrine of purgatory (1439)

·        Scripture to be interpreted only within context of Catholic tradition (1545)

·        Apocryphal books added to the bible (1545)

·        Immaculate conception of Mary revealed by Pope Pius IX (1854)

·        Doctrine of infallibility of Pope by Vatican Council (1870)

·        Bodily assumption of Mary into heaven revealed by Pope Pius XII (1950)

·        Mary proclaimed the Mother of the Church by Pope Paul VI (1965) 

            Can you now answer the question, “Which came first, Church traditions or the writings of the New Testament?”?

            The first four traditions were introduced into some of the early churches by pagan converts.  In the pre-Constantinean era, that is prior to 315 A.D., the churches were autonomous.  Thus, doctrinal errors were not accepted by all independent churches (e.g., the 251 A.D. schism over infant baptism discussed in Chapter Five).  The injection of paganism accelerated under Constantine and was widespread in his universal Church.  By the end of the 4^th century, the Church Constantine had established was thoroughly Romanized.  Prior to Constantine’s Edict of Toleration early in the 4^th century, Rome was thoroughly paganized.  The Roman Catholic Church incorporated many of these pagan practices into its doctrines beginning in the middle of the 5^th century when the term “catholic” was first applied to what had grown out of Constantine’s universal Church.  As discussed in earlier Chapter One, St. Vincent of Lérins defined “catholic” as “that which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all.”  As can be understood by examining the above list of continually evolving Catholic traditions, a strong argument could be made that the Roman Catholic Church is still not catholic because what the Church teaches is still evolving and could therefore not have been believed with regard to “... always, and by all”!  Those who died as late as 450 A.D. did not know about the traditions adopted by the Church after that year!  St. Vincent certainly never believed in papal infallibility (1870) or Mary’s bodily assumption into heaven (1950) or that she was the Mother of the Church (1965).  Moreover, as already mentioned, a segment of the Roman Catholic Church departed (schism) in 1871 shortly after papal infallibility was adopted by the First Vatican Council in 1870.  These latter-day protestants wanted the “Old” Catholic Church they believed in preserved.  Thus, it is clear that papal infallibility was not a doctrine earlier than 1870 or they would have bolted earlier.  This sect of Catholicism calls itself Old Catholics because they accept all Church teachings up to papal infallibility which they deny.

            Thus, the traditions of men must be rejected:

“See to it that no one deceives you by philosophy and vain deceit, according to human traditions, according to the elements of the world and not according to Christ.” [Colossians 2:8]

            Jesus said:

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” [St. Luke 21:33]

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 (3) Its Name - Church or Churches

            The meaning of church or churches, ekklesia, a called out assembly of believers for God’s special purposes, was discussed in the chapter titled Introduction.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things concerning the churches ....” [Apocalypse 22:16]

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(4) Its Polity (form of organization) - Congregational 

            All members are equal. There is no hierarchy  [St. Matthew 20:24-28 and 23:5-12].  In the early churches, there was no distinction between clergy and laity, not in dress or manner.  This differed from the pagan religions where the prelates wore clothes and vestments that distinguished them as temple priests.  In the early churches, there was no special class of members who alone, metaphorically speaking, could enter into the Holy of Holies.  All believers were priests in that all were able, again, speaking metaphorically, to enter into the Holy of Holies to make sacrifices [Apocalypse 1:6].  See below.

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 (5) Its Members - Only the Saved 

            All visitors are welcome to come and hear the gospel of Christ Jesus, as recorded in the Scriptures as a testimony forever, and have their lives changed.  However, in order to be a member and participate in the Lord’s Supper, one must be saved.  Salvation precedes church membership and is a requirement for same.

“... you are now ... members of God’s household:   you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief corner stone.  In him the whole structure is closely fitted together and grows into a temple holy in the Lord.” [Ephesians 2:19-21]

“Be you yourselves as living stones, built thereon into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” [I St. Peter 2:5]

            Jesus’ sacrifice opened up the Holy of Holies to all believers.  Thus, all believers are now priests in the sense that each can approach God directly.  Through Jesus’ atoning death on the cross, believers can now make their bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God.  How?  By self-flagellation as practiced by some monks?  Of course not.  St. Paul gives us the answer:

“I exhort you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice, living, holy, pleasing to God - your spiritual service.  And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed in the newness of your mind (as a result of your spiritual rebirth), that you may discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect (complete) will of God.” [Romans 12:1-2]

            The believer is to reflect God’s glory by walking in a different manner from those walking in an evil world.  In a practical sense, those walking in the world seek constantly to satisfy the needs of the flesh.  Many of the things they do are sin.  The believer, on the other hand, is a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Just as God has sanctified the believer’s soul, that is, set it apart for a special purpose, so the believer should sanctify his flesh, that is, set his body aside so that the Holy Spirit can accomplish His will through the believer’s physical body.  How can he accomplish this?  Only one way:  by the power of God dwelling inside in the person of the Holy Spirit [see Ephesians 6:10].  If we sacrifice the things of the flesh, we can better discern God’s will for us, accept it, and understand that it is a better will than we have for ourselves.  Note that the Scripture does not teach that such sacrifice contributes to the believer’s salvation!

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 (6) Its Ordinances - Believer’s Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

            In a New Testament church, in accordance with Scriptures, members do not confess one baptism “for the forgiveness of sins.”  The reason is simple.  As discussed in previous chapters, baptism removes no sins, not even one.  It is only the precious blood of Jesus that washes away sin.

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you ....” [St. Matthew 28:19-20]  

“‘... This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.  For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.’” [I Corinthians 11:25-26]

            Neither is a New Testament church a legislating church.  Jesus addressed those who legislate new rules:

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat (they have stolen his authority).  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.  For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders (new laws); but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  But all of their works they do to be seen by men.  They ... enlarge the borders (hems) of their garments.” [St. Matthew 23:1-5, NKJV]

            Jesus accused the Pharisees of usurping Moses’ authority as the transmitter of the Law and God's authority as the Law Maker.  He accused them further of saying one thing but doing another and failing to do that which they were supposed to do according to the Law.  Moreover, they created precept upon precept (new law upon new law), bound them together, and placed these burdensome requirements which are hard to bear upon men’s shoulders.  Jesus had invited the people to:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” [St. Matthew 11:29-30]

            Thus, Jesus drew a clear distinction between the burden the Pharisees placed upon a man and the light burden He exerted.  On the hems (borders) of the garments worn by the Pharisees was a little loop for every precept.  As they made up more and more laws for the people to follow, the hems of their garments had to be made larger to accommodate the additional loops.  Thus, when Jesus referred to their apparel, it was a reference to their wicked desire to usurp God’s authority and make new Laws.

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 (7) Its Officers - Pastors (also called bishops) and Deacons

“This saying is true:  If anyone is eager for the office of bishop, he desires a good work.  A bishop then, must be blameless, married but once (to only one woman), reserved, prudent, of good conduct, hospitable, a teacher, not a drinker or a brawler, but moderate, not quarrelsome, not avaricious.  He should rule well his own household, keeping his children under control and perfectly respectable.  For if a man cannot rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God?  He must not be a new convert, lest he be puffed up with pride and incur the condemnation passed on the devil.  Besides this he must have a good reputation with those who are outside (nonbelievers), that he may not fall into disgrace and into a snare of the devil.  Deacons also must be honorable, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for base gain, but holding the mystery of faith in pure conscience.  And let them first be tried, and if found without reproach let them be allowed to serve.  In like manner let the women (their wives) be honorable, not slanderers, but reserved, faithful in all things.  Deacons should be men who have been married but once, ruling well their children and their own households.  And those who have fulfilled well this office will acquire a good position and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” [I Timothy 3:1-13]

            While women have important roles to play in their churches, God has chosen to limit the role of pastor, that is, head servant of the church and shepherd of the flock, to certain men, but certainly not to just any men as the above citation makes clear.  The role of deacon is also limited to men.  Older women are to teach younger women [see Titus 2:3-5].  Women may preach to other women.  They are usually intimately involved in the day-to-day running of the church.

            A woman may instruct a man in business, math, or rocket science.  However, God’s Word teaches that women are not to instruct men in the Scriptures or have spiritual authority over them.  Thus, God’s Word does not allow for women pastors who are over the whole flock, men and women [see I Timothy 2:12].  By the same Word, a pastor cannot counsel women on certain matters, as made clear in Titus 2:3-5.  This is not a matter of equality, intelligence, or capabilities but of divine order.  One gender is not inferior to the other.  However, in the spiritual realm, men and women have different roles to play, as revealed in God’s Holy Word.  However, the most important responsibility a believer has is shared equally by men and women, namely, to spread the gospel to a lost world.  Thus, women can certainly serve as missionaries and can lead men, as well as women, to Christ.  It should be understood that this divine ordinance in no way sanctions unfairness in business practices.  Moreover, godly men should support the idea of equal pay for equal work, equal opportunities for women, and a harassment-free work environment.

            It was widely reported by the media on October 21, 2000 that Former President of the U.S., Jimmy Carter, had resigned from his Baptist church.  He felt that the Southern Baptists were being exclusionary in not ordaining women to the pulpit.  The former president didn’t reveal whether God had also changed His mind on having “lust in one’s heart” [see St. Matthew 5:28].  Candidate Jimmy Carter was interviewed by a pornographic magazine and quoted as having said he had “lusted in his heart.”

            The above citation on pastors and deacons from I Timothy contains some of the clearest truths about churches and the ministry.  Verse 5 states, “For if a man cannot rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God?”  Obviously the “church” referred to in this verse cannot be The Church, The Roman Catholic Church, The Greek Orthodox Church, The Russian Orthodox Church, The Anglican Church, or any other universal Church!  In fact, this is an excellent example of the use of the Greek ekklesia, discussed in the Introduction.

            The Scriptures make clear that men are to be the spiritual leaders.  However, when men fail to do what God calls them to do, God can and often has used women.  Saul was the first king of Israel.  Prior to Saul, the people were led by judges.  The fifth judge of Israel, and the only woman judge, was Debora (also spelled Deborah).  She was also a prophetess.  During a period of idolatry, God punished the Israelites by allowing them to come under the thumb of the Chanaanite (also spelled Canaanite) king, Jabin.  Sometime after that, the Lord gave a message to the prophetess Debora who summoned the Israelite warrior Barac:

“‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, commands,’ she said to him; ‘Go, march on Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand Nephthalites and Zabulonites.  I will lead Sisara, the commander of Jabin’s army, out to you at the Wadi Cison (a dry river bed), together with his chariots and troops, and will deliver them into your power.’  But Barac answered her, ‘If you come with me, I will go.  If you do not come with me, I will not go.’” [Judges 4:6-8]

            This might be the origin of the story of the proverbial coward who hid behind a woman’s skirt.  At any rate, Debora knew it was not her spiritual role to lead men into battle.  She affirmed this in the following verse:

“‘I will certainly go with you,’ she replied, ‘but you shall not gain the glory in the expedition on which you are setting out, for the LORD will have Sisara fall into the power of a woman.’” [Judges 4:9]

            When men fail to live up to their spiritual roles, God will use godly women to accomplish His good pleasure.  The same holds true for the role of the man in the family.  God intends men to be the spiritual leaders in the home, church, and world.

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 (8) Its Work - Feed the Flock and Spread the Gospel

            The work of the church includes bringing people to Christ through the preaching of the gospel, baptizing them, and teaching them so they can become witnesses for Christ.  The New Testament church is quick, that is, alive.  It is not a stagnant organization but a living, growing organism.  It is active in seeking conversions of unbelievers to Christ and not dead through repeated rituals.

“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world.” [St. Matthew 28:16-20]

            St. Paul exhorts believers:

“I charge thee, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead by his coming and by his kingdom, preach the word, be urgent in season, (and) out of season; reprove (be a living example to others); entreat (plead); rebuke (correct) with all patience and teaching. [II Timothy 4:1-2]

            The word patience cannot be stressed enough.  A believer can  get frustrated when someone continues to reject the truth of the gospel time after time after time.  Sometimes it is hard to remember that they have been blinded by the god of this world and it’s not that they are stubborn, they just really can’t see the truth [see II Corinthians 4:3-4].

            It is important for believers to attend a bible-believing, bible-teaching church.  St. Paul warns:

“... there will come a time when they will not endure sound doctrine; but having itching ears, will heap up to themselves (draw close to) teachers according to their own lusts, and they will turn away their own hearing from the truth and turn aside rather to fables.” [II Timothy 4:3-4]

            God speaks to His children through His Word.  Unfortunately, some preachers don’t.  The above citation prophesies a time when people will reject the truth and turn to preachers who preach fables.  Therefore, the believer is commanded to be on guard and to compare the veracity of what the preacher preaches with the Word of God [Acts 17:11].  When one attends a New Testament church, God’s Word is not only read, but verses are corroborated and explanations given.  In these churches, the Word of God comes to life.  It is quick, that is, alive.  It is taught in Sunday school, in the Sunday morning and evening services, and in the Wednesday evening service.  It is reinforced through periodic week-long revival services.  New Testament church services include no rituals.  Rather, services consist of singing hymns of praise, collecting of an offering, reading from Scriptures, and listening to a sermon of about forty-five minutes on the meaning of the reading, complete with supporting verses from other parts of the Scripture.  Most pastors teach on a given subject, e.g., forgiveness, or a particular book, e.g., Acts, in a systematic manner for several weeks, or months, depending on the complexity of the subject.  Sunday services, morning and evening, last about one hour and fifteen minutes to about an hour and a half.  Sunday school lasts about an hour.  The Wednesday evening service includes communal prayers from prayer requests from the members.

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 (9) Its Financial Plan - Tithes and Offerings

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in my house, and try me in this, saith the LORD: if I open not unto you the flood-gates of heaven, and pour you out a blessing even to abundance.” [Malachias 3:10]

            God is speaking in the above citation.  While Deuteronomy 6:16 tells us: “You shall not put the LORD, your God, to the test,” God makes an exception and tells us in Malachias to do just that, to put Him to the test!  The New Testament teaches that in whatever manner we sow, so shall we reap.  St. Luke assures believers:

“... give and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they pour into your lap ....” [St. Luke 6:38]

            In Jesus’ day, women carried groceries home from market using their gowns or aprons.  Both had hand loops similar to what we see attached to cameras and other articles today.  The woman would take hold of the hand loops, which were located a bit below hip level, and pull up.  Then she would sit down.  This created a type of basket or pouch in her lap.  After her lap had been filled, she would continue to grasp the loops, stand up, and journey home with her purchases.

            God’s Word tells us that those who preach the gospel should earn their living from doing same.

“So also the Lord directed that those who preach the gospel should have their living from the gospel.” [I Corinthians 9:14]

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 (10) Its Weapons of Warfare - Spiritual, Not Carnal

            The greatest weapon the believer has is prayer.  Many are not aware of this.  Sometimes a nonbeliever will say, “Well, the least I can do is say a prayer for him.”  No, that’s actually the most powerful thing a believer can do for himself or anyone else.  No less than St. James, Jesus’ brother (see Chapter Five), tells us:

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” [St. James 5:16, NKJV]

            Entire books have been written on prayer.  The word is used over 150 times in the Old Testament and more than 160 times in the New.  The word pray means to “ask.”  It is different from praising or adoring God.  It is different from meditating on the Scriptures, confessing sins, humbling oneself, and giving thanks.

            The Koran tells the faithful to pray three times a day.  How often is the believer to pray?  St. Paul tells us to “... pray at all times ...” in Ephesians 6:18 and to “Pray without ceasing ...” in I Thessalonians 5:16.

            Sometimes people’s prayers are not answered as they would like.  St. James tells us “... you do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it upon your passions.” [St. James 4:2-3]  Many believers simply do not ask.  They mistakenly believe God is too busy keeping the planets in their orbits to listen to their little requests.  Others ask for things they shouldn’t.  It is not legitimate to ask God to let your husband - the sight of whom you can no longer stand - come to the same conclusion you have, namely, that the marriage should be dissolved.  The Scriptures tell us also that our prayers should be in accordance with the will of God.  If it’s okay to have it, then it’s okay to pray for it.

            Jesus tells us how to pray, as recorded in the Scripture.  We should not pray to be seen by men.  Rather, we should go behind closed doors.  This should not be misinterpreted to mean that believers should not pray as a body, a church, an ekklesia.  It simply means do not pray to be seen by men, less their admiration is your reward.  He also tells us not to use repetitious prayers, multiplying our words because this is the way of the heathen [see St. Matthew 6:57].

            To most of us there is nothing more annoying than being asked the same favor over and over and over again.  It’s not just a cliché.  Kids really do ask, “Can I?  Huh?  Please?  Can I please?  Pretty please?”  Sooner or later, more often sooner than later, parents give in if not give out and say in frustration, “Yes!  A thousand times yes!  Just quit asking.”  Do you think God likes our constant asking, particularly for the same thing, over and over and over again any more than we like to hear it from our kids?  That’s exactly what God wants His children to do!  Ask and ask and ask again.  God wants His children to be dependent on Him and He wants to pour out blessings on them.  After instructing His disciples on how to pray, Jesus gave them and us an example:

“And he said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him in the middle of the night and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has just come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he from within should answer and say, ‘Do not disturb me; the door is now shut, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give to thee’?  I say to you, although he will not get up and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him all he needs.  And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.”” [St. Luke 11:5-9]

            In this analogy, the one already in bed is God.  The one asking for bread because he has none in his house is not asking for it to satisfy his passions, his flesh.  Rather, he is asking for bread to feed his friend who has come unexpectedly.  This example of how to pray fits exactly with what the Scriptures teach concerning prayer.  If one is praying for a new car so he can continue to get to work and earn a living to support his family, he is not praying selfishly.  On the other hand, someone who prays for a new car so his neighbors or friends will be envious is praying selfishly.  His request is for something he can spend on his passions [see St. James 4:2-3 above].

            As made clear in Chapter Five, Jesus never told His followers to take up the sword.  Yet, as was discussed in that chapter, many who refer to themselves as “The Church” did exactly that.  Jesus condemned such actions.  When they were in the garden and St. Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest, Jesus rebuked him:

“Put back thy sword into its place; for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” [St. Matthew 26:52]

            Our battle is in the spiritual realm, not the earthly.  Jesus went on to tell St. Peter:

“‘... dost thou suppose that I cannot entreat my Father, and he will even now furnish me with more than twelve legions of angels?’” [St. Matthew 26:53]

            In the above citation, Jesus makes the point that it is not a matter of muscle, or manpower.  While we do not know how many sinners came to Gethsemane to take Jesus away that night, we do know that a Roman legion consisted of 6,000 fighting men.  Thus, Jesus told St. Peter that He could call more than 72,000 angels to protect Him.  Thus, sheer numbers do not determine the outcome in a spiritual battle.  Moreover, it is recorded in Isaias 37:36 that a single angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night!

            On a previous occasion, Jesus and His disciples had been traveling to Jerusalem.  A messenger had been sent ahead to secure a place for a night’s lodging in a Samaria village.  Now the Samaritans hated the Jews and the Jews reciprocated.  The Jews did not consider the Samaritans to be pure ethnic Jews but a mongrel race.  The reason is that the conquering armies of Assyria and Babylonia used the area of Samaria as a re-colonizing territory for conquered peoples outside of Palestine, in other words, non-Jews.  Thus, many foreigners had been relocated to Samaria and entered into mixed marriages with the local Jewish denizens.  Therefore, Samaria also had a religion consisting of Judaism mixed with paganism.

            The Samaritans tolerated Jews passing through if they were spending money but only if they were headed away from Jerusalem.  When the lodge keeper learned that the group was traveling to Jerusalem, he informed the messenger that there was no lodging available.  When this word came back to Jesus, James and John, the sons of thunder, asked Jesus if He would like for them to call down fire from heaven to destroy the city.  But Jesus replied:

“‘You do not know of what manner of spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’  And they went to another village.” [St. Luke 9:56]

            Thus, when they rejected not just His message but also His very person, Jesus did not retaliate.  Neither did He allow His disciples to do so.

            Moreover, it is revealed that:

“... our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the Principalities and the Powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness on high.” [Ephesians 6:12]

            Thus, if our fight is not with flesh and blood, then the sword is of no avail:

“For though we walk in (but not according to) the flesh, we do not make war according to the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but powerful before God to the demolishing of strongholds ....” [II Corinthians 10:3-4]

            Clearly, those state Churches that tortured unbelievers and put them to the sword or stake were not carrying out God’s will.  Pope John Paul II apologized to the Jews for violence and other sins committed against them over the ages by the Roman Catholic Church, as mentioned in Chapter Five.  Thus, contrary to earlier Church claims, the Holy Spirit could not have been leading the Roman Catholic Church to convert Jews under pain of death.  This brings us to the last characteristic of a New Testament church.

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 (11) It’s Independence - Separation of Church and State

            As discussed in Chapter Five, a number of churches in various countries rose to prominence after the Protestant Reformation to become state Churches.  After arriving at such exalted positions, each one, without exception, began to persecute non-state churches, as well as individuals who did not belong to “The Church.”  Among the first waves of  persecutions were economic sanctions.  These were followed by physical persecutions and, in many instances, death for those who would not convert.  Do you really think in your heart of hearts that this is what God wanted?  If He wanted it then, He must want it now also because God’s Word tells us, “For I am the Lord and I change not ....” [Malachias 3:6].  Do you really think this is what Jesus went to the cross to achieve?  I can only hope that you don’t.  Remember, to be a Christian is to be a “little Christ.”  That’s what the word Christian means.  Can you picture Jesus telling His disciples to preach the gospel to all creatures and to torture and kill those who refuse to believe?  I don’t think so.  Jesus wouldn’t even let James and John call down fire to destroy the inhabitants of a single city.  Jesus told His apostles: “And whoever does not receive you - go forth from that town, and shake off even the dust from your feet for a witness against them.” [St. Luke 9:5]  He never directed them to put anyone to the sword for any reason!

            Some will point out what they believe to be analogous instances in the Old Testament where God told the Israelites to invade a country and kill all its inhabitants.  And He certainly did tell them to do exactly that.  However, the problem with this analogy is that it is inappropriate.  God never told the Israelites to go into a country and convert the inhabitants and, if they refused, kill them.  But this is exactly what many of The Churches did!  “Believe or die in the name of Jesus,” was their cry.

            The Old Testament reveals that in choosing a people for His own, the Jews, God’s purpose was to pour out blessings on an obedient Israel so that the surrounding heathen nations would notice the God of the Israelites blessing the Israelites for their obedience and would want those same blessings for themselves and be drawn to the God of Israel for that reason.  The Jews were to draw unbelievers to their God, Jehovah, through their obedient walk with Him which would result in His pouring out His blessings on them.  This is the appropriate analogy.  The believer is to draw the unbeliever to Jesus by the way the unbeliever sees the believer living his life.  The unbelieving neighbor is to look across the fence to the believer and see something the believer has that he, the unbeliever, would like to have also.  It might be the believer’s joy or his certainty of salvation.  However, if the unbeliever does not respond, the believer is not Scripturally authorized to jump over the fence and beat the living tar out of his neighbor until he repents and converts.  This is the way state-run Churches were gaining “converts” - through intimidation and physical violence.

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Communal Prayer In Public Schools Then . . .

            Today, many “Christians” want communal prayer reinstated in public schools.  It was taken out by the Supreme Court in 1962.  At that time and before, this nation was still pretty much Christian.  Most attended church services as a family on a regular basis.  Many attended Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday evening.  The younger children attended Sunday school while the teens accompanied their parents in the service.  Many mothers and fathers held nightly devotionals with their children and taught them how to study the bible.

            A family was understood to mean a father, a mother, and the children.  The per capita number of births termed “illegitimate” was relatively small.  Most men felt a moral obligation to marry the girl if she found herself “in a family way.”  The word “pregnant” was not used in mixed company and was one’s of television’s many prohibited words.  And certainly there was societal pressure to do the “right thing.”  If there was any doubt as to what the right thing was, the parents of the boy and girl quickly educated them.  Being a single mother brought a sense of shame to the girl and her family.  In those days, the Vice President of the United States did not have to go on television and remind the nation that women should not have children out of wedlock and warn them of the dangers of such reprobate conduct.  Of course, no television network would have broadcast a sit-com (Murphy Brown) with such a scandalous theme and no church-going Christians would have watched it anyway.  And an organization with a name like the “North American Man/Boy Love Association,” would have meant adult men acting as mentors for young boys who had no fathers.

            As for other religions, there were a few.  Public schools located in urban areas with large Jewish populations allowed silent prayer.  The Christians and Jews handled this in mutual peace.  There was no celebration of diversity in those days so Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhists prayers were not prayed in the classrooms.  Neither were there prayers to Mary or the saints.  The prayers that were prayed aloud in public schools in non-urban areas were Christian.  The term “secular humanism” had not yet been introduced into common parlance.  People understood that the Old and New Testaments were the authorities on what was right and wrong and parents, preachers, and teachers were the arbiters.  Situational ethics had not yet come into vogue.  In fact, at that time, if one had suggested a wrong that had been done was okay because, after all, things turned out well, one’s sanity would have been questioned along with one’s morals.  Some kids hung around together in cliques and could be pretty petty at times.

            The schools were run by teachers, administrators, and involved parents, particularly mothers. Motherhood was a proud, fulfilling vocation.  Preachers praised the call to motherhood from the pulpits.  Those running the schools were likely to be professing Christians.  Certain things were known to be in the closet and it was generally agreed that that was exactly where they belonged.  Females enjoyed being referred to as ladies and older ones positively beamed when called “girls.”  The word “woman” was considered denigrating in many circles, connoting “common.”  Females had not yet “morphed” into full-time fomenting feminists.

            The Parent Teacher Association, the PTA, held great sway with regard to school curriculum and extracurricular sports which were intended to teach students all things under the broad umbrella of sportsmanship.  Some parents were so involved with their childrens’ schools that they formed review groups to read books in school libraries to ensure they were suitable for students and those found not to be so were removed from the shelves.  At that time, this practice was called “responsible” parenting.  Most children did not have the word “censorship” in their vocabularies.  The state provided the funds for the schools.  Involvement by the federal government through the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, established in 1953, was modest.  There were a few teachers’ unions but they had little power and therefore little clout in the political arena.  The reason was that their salaries were low and their salaries were low because they had no collective bargaining power.

            Students followed a strict code of conduct concerning interactions between boys and girls.  Children understood that parents, teachers, and other authority figures were in control and that they must obey them and if they didn’t, they would be punished.  The young and rebellious had not yet been told they had “rights” nor did they realize that they could manipulate gullible judges, teachers, and parents to get what they wanted, a practice God’s Word condemns as witchcraft [see I Kings 15:23].  Big offenses included chewing gum in class and being in the hall without a pass.  If a student got caught, he got punished by the teacher or principal who more often than not called his parents and he got it again when his father arrived home from work.  That was certainly true in my case and I have thanked my parents for this many times.  Sometimes a child would “sass” a teacher or a parent on rare occasions but not without consequence.

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 . . . And Now

            Today, we exist in a different world.  The definition of a family is limited only by one’s imagination.  Lesbian and homosexual couples, along with singles, are allowed to adopt children.  Single women who have no intention of marrying have children, sometimes multiple children, and are lauded as well as applauded for it.  Widespread introduction of birth control has largely freed men from the consequences of their actions.  School children are taught to practice “safe” sex.  Condoms are supplied free to students who mature physically long before they mature mentally, socially, and spiritually.  As the use of birth control has increased, so has the number of children born to single mothers, along with the number of abortions.  Situational ethics has evolved into “values clarification” which is being taught in a public system that does not have a standard for distinguishing positive values from negative.  Children are taught that it is acceptable to abort an unwanted baby or one that would place a strain on family finances.  And the North American Man/Boy Love Association is an organization that practices, defends, and promotes acts of homosexuality between adult men and “consenting” young males!

            Most large, public school systems - they are no longer called schools - are run by full-fledged feminists often supported by faint-hearted males of the more sensitive, malleable persuasion.  As mentioned earlier, when men fail to “stand in the gap,” women will come in to do so [see Ezechiel 22:30].  However, it is not God’s will that men fail in their role of leadership.

            The teachers’ unions obtained collective bargaining rights in the mid-1960s.  Their numbers, along with their political muscle, have grown exponentially to the point where the mere mention of one of the powerful unions strikes reelection terror into the hearts of elected “followers.”  Elected leaders were run off the scene long ago.  The power of the teachers’ unions was so strong that, in 1979, the Congress gave in to their demands and created a cabinet position for education as a single issue:  the Department of Education.  Health and human services were severed.

            Teachers’ unions have continued to grow in power and influence.  The Department of Education and teachers’ unions both prosper and grow in a symbiotic relationship.  The states’ roles have been reduced largely to finding how best to implement the Feds extortive demands.  Parents no longer have controlling influence over school administration or curriculum.

            Many parents have become resigned to planning their lives around chauffeuring their children from one school-sponsored competitive sporting event to another.  If the officiate makes a bad call, the young athletes look to the parents crowded onto the bleachers to see how to respond.  Volatile parents have actually fought with and killed each other, as well as officiates.  And the incidences of such violence are on the rise.  This is one reason why some students bring guns to school, not because the Ten Commandments aren’t posted in the classrooms.  If you disagree with another student, shoot him.  If a teacher won’t give in to your physical threats, shoot him.  These kids are confident that their parents will get them out of any punishment.  They have a long track record of doing so.  The children have trained their parents well over the years.  By Sunday morning, some parents are just too tired from submitting to their children and their childrens’ coaches all week long to muster the energy to drag themselves and their children out of bed for church services.

            Principals can no longer apply or even threaten physical discipline.  Years ago this was referred to as applying the board of education to the seat of learning!  And, as promised in God’s Word, it did not kill us [see Proverbs 23:13-14].  Neither do teachers bother to call parents.  Likely as not, they gave up long ago and will tell the one who calls that little Johnny is their problem when he is at school.  Many of the teachers, too, are in submission to the students.  Teachers and school administrators work in an environment where any disgruntled or attention-starved child can bring charges of sexual assault.  Teachers in many schools have had to adopt a self-preservation approach - give  the students no standards, little homework, and few objective tests.  Just give them the grades to move them on to the next teacher or the next year until they are finally out of school.

            Students now attend sex education classes where they are instructed on, among other things, how to put a condom on a banana.  Several years ago, the Surgeon General of the United States was responsible for making condoms available free to every public high school student in the U.S.  She proudly showed off her little “condom tree” she kept on her desk in her taxpayer-funded office.  She bragged about it to the media, but she was finally forced to resign.  Her open and repeated advocacy for the legalization of addictive drugs was not the cause.  No.  It was only after she advocated in a public forum that teachers teach their students how to masturbate that she was forced out.  It was later revealed that her son was addicted to cocaine.

            The student population in public schools today, like the administrators and unions who run them, form a rich, culturally diverse mosaic.  Children of varying and diverse backgrounds and faiths come into contact every day.  Many parents complain about the costs for material things associated with dressing their children in so many ways to please so many cultural demands.  One ethnic group starts a clothing trend and there is peer pressure on all to follow suit.  The parent who says “no” to his or her child’s sartorial demands is a rare parent.

            Teens no longer hang around in cliques or the house acting petulant and churlish.  Some go behind locked doors bearing warnings to parents and siblings to “stay out or die” and listen to demonic music.  These children, attired in basic black T-shirts bearing the names of heavy metal rock bands or “gangsta rap” groups, seclude themselves in their bedrooms and get stoned, don vacant visages, and rock their heads back and forth to the deafening cacophony, their died-green, pink, blue, or red-tipped hair keeping rhythm with the driving beat as the singers scream lyrics that glorify murder, rape, incest, rebellion, suicide, and the father of all abominations, Satan.  When some parents are asked if they are not concerned about their child always wearing such T-shirts, they shake their heads and wave off any concern with a brush of their wrists.  “I know what you are getting at,” they reply, “and it’s all just a myth.”  I know of cases where one parent searched a child’s room because of the child’s suspicious behavior and found drug paraphernalia and the other parent got mad because “a child is entitled to his privacy.”  Yes, many children today have their parents not only in submission, but also in denial.

            Motherhood is now an avocation rather than a vocation.  The role of motherhood and homemaker - often described as one who stays home and bakes cookies and stands by her man - has been slighted by feminists for years and most publicly by former first lady, Mrs. William Jefferson Clinton, now the good Senator from the state of New York.  Working mothers are careful to “exercise time management skills” so they can spend “quality time” with their children after they pick them up from “day-care.”  Quality time consists of that time left over after important, self-actualizing tasks have been accomplished.  Today, the local PTA is largely passe and the national PTA distributes materials to schools promoting "alternate lifestyles."  Maybe the younger children are dropped off at the church doors from time to time Sunday mornings if the church has a “good childrens’ program.”  A good program is no longer defined as one that teaches the gospel and all that goes with it such as honesty, chastity, and other - what used to be called - virtues.  The most parentally appreciated virtue of today’s church programs is measured largely by how much time it can keep the little hellions out of mother’s and father’s hair so she can relieve her stress in the tub with some modicum of “quiet time” while he relieves his on the golf course.

            Think about it.  As a Christian parent with a child in a public school, do you really want the Village (big government) to interject prayer into today’s public schools?  Obviously, the children and parents discussed above do not come from Christian homes.  While the ecumenical crowd - and these seem to be the only ones pushing for reintroduction of school prayer - might think it’s great that the children can all be influenced by one another’s religious backgrounds and share their gods, the child raised in a Christian home has nothing to gain from the reintroduction of communal prayer in public schools.  The Christian child has already learned to pray and might even know the difference between honoring and glorifying God and praying (asking Him for something).

            The child raised in a Christian home can only lose if communal prayer is reintroduced.  That child has been taught there is only one God and when she prays she is to pray to God in Jesus’ name.  Perhaps you think the one who will lose is the non-Christian child who might be drawn to Christ if communal prayer is reintroduced.  If there are believers in the school, they already will have witnessed to the unbelievers and they will continue to do so even if communal prayer is not reintroduced.  Many Christian children attending public schools meet before the start of classes at the “flagpole” each day for communal prayer.

            If proponents are successful, the Christian child will be force fed other gods, all false.  The Village will insist on enforcing diversity and fairness.  One day the students will be led in prayer by a follower of Allah, the next by a subscriber to the Hindu goddess Kali or the Greek Sophia or Catholic Mary.  And let’s not overlook the latest Village-recognized religion.  The army, upon petition, concluded that Wiccan is a legitimate religion and agreed to let practitioners meet and participate on post in weekly services just like Jews, Catholics, Protestants, and Satanists.  Wiccan is more commonly known as witchcraft.

            Since one can easily think of at least nineteen false gods, and there are hundreds if not thousands more, this means that, if communal prayer is reintroduced, Christian children will participate in a communal prayer to their God only about once a month during the months they attend school.  However, there is a problem.  Believers are told not to participate in the religious services of unbelievers:

“Do not bear the yoke with unbelievers.  For what has justice in common with iniquity?  Or what fellowship has light with darkness?  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (Satan)?  Or what part has the believer with the unbeliever?  And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?  For you are the temple of the living God, as God says, ‘I will dwell and move among them, I will be their God and they shall be my people.’  Wherefore, ‘Come out from among them (unbelievers), be separated says the LORD, and touch not an unclean thing; and I will welcome you in, and will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the LORD almighty.’” [II Corinthians 6:14-18]

            However, the Village weavers who want to produce this culturally rich, diverse fabric of society that accepts the universal “all” and believes in “none” will insist that Christian children show respect by participating in prayers where other children read aloud from the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Sutras, the Islamic Suras of the Koran, and the Book of Wiccan.  How will your child respond when a young Muslim boy calls his classmates to prayer over the public address system with the traditional Arabic cry:  “La ilaha illa Allah, Mohammad rasul Allah,” translated as “There is no god but Allah and Mohammad is his prophet”?  Understand, Allah is not just another name for Jehovah God, as The Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and many other Churches mistakenly teach.  Allah is the name of another god, a false god!  Allah was but one false god among 360 Arabic false gods in Mohammad’s day, a god for each day of the 360-day lunar calendar.  In fact, Allah was the “moon god.”  The crescent moon appears on the Islamic flag to this day!  Your child’s reaction may conflict deeply with his or her having been taught in a Christian home and church to respect people but to reject false gods.  Thus, nineteen days a month at school your child will have to walk a narrow line.  One day a month your child can pray to God through Jesus Christ.  Nineteen encounters with false gods to one with the only God?  Sounds like a bad deal to me, a real bad deal.  Maybe that’s why Jesus instructed:

“Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” [St. Matthew 22:21]

            If you want your child to participate in communal prayer in school, send him or her to a Christian school.  If your child must attend a public school, he can pray silently.  God hears silent prayer.  Satan cannot eavesdrop on silent prayer.  Neither he nor his demons can read minds, but they can hear audible prayers and intervene to the best of their abilities within the providential will of God to inhibit your getting what you ask for.  Demons can also create distractions if they know or suspect that one is praying.  Therefore, silent prayer is preferable in many respects.

            The reason the world is in the shape it’s in today is not because of unbelievers.  The reason the U.S. is in a moral free fall is not because of unbelievers.  Unbelievers have always acted like unbelievers and God knows this.  It’s because of the way believers are living and acting that God is withdrawing His hand.  God’s Word reveals:

“If My people who are called by My name (Christians) will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear (their prayer) from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” [II Chronicles 7:14, NKJV]

            Note that nonbelievers and their behavior are not addressed in the remedy.

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Follow the Good Shepherd

            Would you like to become one of those who is called by His name?  If you would like to become a believer now and have assurance of eternal life, you can.  Some may wish to review Chapter Three first.

            If you would like to surrender your rebellious spirit so you can have a reborn spirit and renewed mind and attitude and become a child of God, then say the sinner’s prayer and mean it.  In St. Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed (asked):  “O God, be merciful to me a sinner!” and Jesus praised him for it.  Today, we must go through Jesus to reach the Father the first time.  Why?  God the Father is all Spirit.  God the Son is both Spirit and  flesh, thus He is both God and man.  Since the sinner has a dead spirit, he cannot communicate with God the Father who is all Spirit.  However, the sinner can communicate flesh to flesh with Jesus.  Jesus’ flesh, in turn, communicates with His Spirit and His Spirit, in turn, communicates with God the Father’s Spirit.  Thus, no one can come to the Father the first time except through the Son [see St. John 14:6].  Once the penitent’s spirit is reborn, he can then come directly to the Father because he now has a live spirit with which to communicate with the Father’s Spirit.  Just pray:

“Jesus, I am a sinner deserving of nothing but hell.  But I believe You paid my sin debt on Calvary with Your shed blood and death.  I ask You to be not only my kinsman redeemer, but also the Lord of my life.  As You died for me, let the old man in me die to sin.  And just as You rose from the dead, raise up Your Spirit in me so that I may walk in Your ways, living for You, crucifying my flesh day by day through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.  I gratefully accept the free gift of salvation offered by God the Father through Your atoning death on the cross.  Wherever You lead, Good Shepherd, I will follow.”

            There is nothing magical about this prayer.  It is not an incantation.  If you accidentally skipped or mispronounced a word it does not matter.  God knows the intent of a repentant heart.  And if you prayed the sinner’s prayer and meant it, congratulations.  You are now a child of God [Romans 8:16]; rescued from the power of darkness [Colossians 1:13]; sanctified for His purposes [Hebrews 10:14]; sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of your redemption [Ephesians 4:30]; a joint heir with Christ [Romans 8:17]; the owner of a new mansion [St. John 14:2]; a man made rich [I Corinthians 4:8]; and a member of the kingdom of God [St. Matthew 25:34].  And no one can snatch you from His hand [St. John 10:27-30].  That is, you cannot lose your salvation.  God does not change His mind.  In addition, there is waiting for you in heaven an incorruptible inheritance [see I St. Peter 1:4].

            I hope you will find a New Testament church to join where you can be fed the Word of God and grow spiritually in the Lord and in the power of His might.  The first step is to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism.  Failing to follow His Word is a hindrance to your spiritual growth and Christian walk and a barrier to receiving the blessings He has waiting for those walking in His will.

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How to Locate A New Testament Church

            New Testament churches are located throughout the U.S.  A partial listing of New Testament churches can be found on the Internet at:  www.BBFI.Org.  A complete listing is maintained by Baptist Bible Fellowship International, P.O. Box 191, Springfield, Missouri, 65801-0191.  The organization may be contacted at (417) 862-5001.  If you are in doubt about what a church teaches, ask the pastor three questions.  Do you baptize infants?  Does water baptism regenerate the spirit?  Can one lose his salvation?  If the answer to any of these is “yes,” then it is not a New Testament church and it preaches a different Jesus from the Jesus of the New Testament.

            My prayer is that God will continue to bless you and keep you near to His heart.  I’ll see you “When the Role is Called Up Yonder.”  If we haven’t met already, come up and introduce yourself.  I’d love to get to know you.

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