Just Imagine, If you can
By Kola Ajibola
Can you just imagine the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ to belong to different denominations as listed below:
Peter … … a Roman Catholic
Paul … … a Methodist
John … … a Mormon
Matthew … a Faith Tabernacle
James … … a Presbyterian
Judas … … a Pentecostal Holiness
Andrew … a Jehovah's Witness
Thomas ... … held to the Jewish faith
Philip … … a Baptit
James … … a Seventh Day Adventist
Simon … … a Unitarian
Bartholomew … a Lutheran
Judas ... thought one church was as good as another
Matthias … to say there is no church in heaven!
Or can you just imagine Peter claiming to be a POPE! Paul saying, “You can sprinkle for baptism.” John shouting, “You must have the book of Mormon before you can be saved.” Matthew preaching, “You can be saved by FAITH ONLY, and you CAN'T fall from grace.” Andrew teaching that there is no eternal hell. Imagine James telling people that their babies are born SINNERS!!
How does it sound? Foolish, doesn't it? That is because it is foolish. There were no denominations in the apostle's day and denominations have NO Bible authority for existence NOW! (1 Corinthians 1:12-13; 3: 4).
Please, note that, none of the apostles taught or believed ANY of these things? They taught “THEN” what your Bible teaches NOW! If you have a copy of the Bible, kindly check all the references given below to show that the Bible still teaches that there has never been a scriptural pope (Acts 10:25-26); Baptism is a burial in water (Romans 6:3-4; Acts 20:27); the book of Mormon is unknown to God's Word (Acts 20:27). Interestingly, faith “ONLY” is NOT a Bible doctrine and one CAN fall from grace (James 2:24; Galatians 5: 4). In the Bible, Jesus and His apostles repeatedly warned against HELL, because it is real (Luke 16:19-31)! The Bible teaches that all babies come directly from God, pure and undefiled (Matthew 19:13-15; Ezekiel 18:20).
Beloved, the apostles belonged to the church of Christ and taught only sound Bible doctrine. (1 Corinthians 12:28; Matthew 16:18; Colossians 1:18 and Ephesians 4:4). The church of Christ is the only church you can read of in the Bible.
We are appealing to you to please consider being a member of the Lord's church. It is simple. If you will like to be just a Christian, working in His kingdom, worshipping Him in truth and in spirit (John 4:23-24) and living as Christian of the New Testament times did. All that is necessary is for you to begin to follow the teaching of the New Testament.
In spite of what many teach today, your Bible still has answer to that great question “What must I do to become a New Testament Christian?”
The Bible declared that if a person desired to be saved, he/she must:
1. Hear the gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 10:14, 17; 1: 16).
2. Believe (have faith) in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (John 8:24; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 11:6).
3. Repent of his/her sins (Acts 2:37-38; Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19; 17:30).
4. Confess your faith in Christ (Matthew 10:32-33; Acts 8:37-38; Rom. 10:10).
5. Be Baptized into Christ (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21; Gal. 3:27).
If you can just leave human doctrines and teachings which invalidate your worship and render it vain and take these simple steps of obedience, God has promised to: 1. Forgive you all your sins (Acts 2: 23-38).
2. Give you a newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).
3. Make you a servant of righteousness (Romans 6:17 18).
4. Add you to the body of Christ which is the church of Christ (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 4:4; Col. 1:18, 24; 1 Corinthians 12: 13); the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13).
5. Give you eternal life (1 John 2:25).
Remember, no one was saved in the New Testament times without taking all the steps enumerated above. The book of Acts gives many examples of conversion. Every case of conversion recorded in that book reinforces the fact that one must take all those steps highlighted above. Note few examples. The Pentecostians (about 3,000 people Acts 2:14-42). The Samaritans and Etiopian eunuch (Acts 8:5, 12, 35). Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:6; 22:16). Cornelius, the first Gentile convert (Acts 11:14). Lydia and the Jailer at Philippi (Acts 16:14-15; 32-34). The Corinthians (Acts 18:8; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2).
My dear friend, if you have not obeyed the gospel of Christ as already stated above in line with the New Testament, you are urged to do so not later than immediate as you understand His requirements. After all, the Philippians jailer was baptized “thatvery hour of the night” (Acts 16:33), after hearing and believing the gospel. The Etiopian eunuch became a Christian while on his journey from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts 8:26-39).
You too can just be a Christian, even now!
Box 35478, Agodi, Ibadan. 08056048209
Thursday, June 4, 2009
"Well, the Lord spoke to me, and said...."
By Keith Sharp
"Well, the Lord spoke to me, and said...." Several times in recent years in friendly conversation friends have casually made this remark. Wow! If the Lord’s on the line, you’d better take that call!
It reminds me of a Pentecostal preacher in Texas several years ago who told his congregation that the Lord spoke to him and told him that he and the entire church were to drive naked to Florida . Some believed him, and they struck off, only to be arrested for indecent exposure while driving across South Louisiana . He later admitted the Lord really didn’t tell him that, but how was the church to know?
Well, let me tell you how.
The Lord had prophets in Israel under the Old Testament (2 Kings 17:13; 2 Chronicles 24:19; Jeremiah 7:25; 25:4; 29:19; Amos 2:11), but some claimed to speak for the Lord although He had not sent them, and they prophesied lies in His name (Jeremiah 14:14-15; 23:21,25-27,30-32; 27:14-15; Lamentations 2:14). The ability to foretell future events with unerring accuracy distinguished true prophets from false (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Can you predict future events without fail?
But the Lord even made the test tougher. Sometimes He allowed false prophets to do signs or wonders to test Israel ’s faithfulness (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). Then, the test was whether or not the one claiming to be a prophet led Israel away from the Lord (Ibid).
By the way, the penalty for falsely claiming to speak for the Lord was death (Deuteronomy 13:5).
But, you say, I don’t claim to be a prophet, but the Lord speaks to me about decisions I need to make from day to day.
If you claim the Lord speaks to you directly, you are claiming the gift of prophecy. "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). The Lord God sent Moses and Aaron his brother to Pharaoh to deliver Israel from Egyptian slavery.
So the LORD said to Moses: "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land (Exodus 7:1-2).
So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me (Exodus 10:3).
If God speaks by you, you are a prophet (or prophetess). If you tell me what God said to you, you’re claiming to be a prophet.
There were also New Testament prophets (Acts 13:1; 15:32; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; 4:11), but there are also many false prophets, and we must discern between them (1 John 4:1). The gift of prophecy ceased, along with the other miraculous spiritual gifts, when the divine revelation was completed, confirmed, and recorded (1 Corinthians 13:8-10).
Once the word of God was found in human vessels, inspired men, the apostles and prophets of Christ (2 Corinthians 1:1; 4:6-7; Ephesians 3:1-5). The Holy Spirit revealed to them God’s thoughts in God’s words (1 Corinthians 2:9-13). The holy apostles and prophets worked mighty signs, wonders, and miracles to confirm the divine message they brought (Mark 16:17-20; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:1-4).
But these same apostles and prophets wrote down these inspired - God-breathed - words in books (Ephesians 3:1-5). These books were gathered together in one, the New Testament, which, along with the Old Testament compose the Scriptures, the writings from God commonly called the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Timothy 5:18; 2 Peter 3:14-16). Now the word of God is found in an inspired book, the Bible, which is completely sufficient to supply all our spiritual needs (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
When someone claims, "God spoke to me," he is claiming the gift of prophecy. But that gift has ceased, and all divine truth for men has been revealed, confirmed, and recorded in Scripture. If you’re having a hard time making a difficult decision, look for guidance from the Scriptures and pray for the wisdom to do what’s best (James 1:5). But don’t confuse your opinions or feelings for divine revelation. Divine truth doesn’t come from a human mind; it’s found in an inspired book. Your feelings are just your feelings, and all they prove is that you feel that way.
Reminds me of a true story Robert F. Turner used to tell. A woman came to him asking him to perform her wedding ceremony. Upon discussion he found she was unscripturally divorced. He said he couldn’t perform the ceremony. She left but later returned and announced, "Brother Turner, God spoke to me and said it’s OK, you can perform my wedding ceremony." Unfazed, he inquired, "Well, did He write it down for you?" "No," she replied. "Well," Brother Turner announced, "God spoke to me too. But He wrote it down for me." And He read to her Matthew 19:9. If God didn’t write it down for you, He didn’t speak to you.
"Well, the Lord spoke to me, and said...." Several times in recent years in friendly conversation friends have casually made this remark. Wow! If the Lord’s on the line, you’d better take that call!
It reminds me of a Pentecostal preacher in Texas several years ago who told his congregation that the Lord spoke to him and told him that he and the entire church were to drive naked to Florida . Some believed him, and they struck off, only to be arrested for indecent exposure while driving across South Louisiana . He later admitted the Lord really didn’t tell him that, but how was the church to know?
Well, let me tell you how.
The Lord had prophets in Israel under the Old Testament (2 Kings 17:13; 2 Chronicles 24:19; Jeremiah 7:25; 25:4; 29:19; Amos 2:11), but some claimed to speak for the Lord although He had not sent them, and they prophesied lies in His name (Jeremiah 14:14-15; 23:21,25-27,30-32; 27:14-15; Lamentations 2:14). The ability to foretell future events with unerring accuracy distinguished true prophets from false (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Can you predict future events without fail?
But the Lord even made the test tougher. Sometimes He allowed false prophets to do signs or wonders to test Israel ’s faithfulness (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). Then, the test was whether or not the one claiming to be a prophet led Israel away from the Lord (Ibid).
By the way, the penalty for falsely claiming to speak for the Lord was death (Deuteronomy 13:5).
But, you say, I don’t claim to be a prophet, but the Lord speaks to me about decisions I need to make from day to day.
If you claim the Lord speaks to you directly, you are claiming the gift of prophecy. "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). The Lord God sent Moses and Aaron his brother to Pharaoh to deliver Israel from Egyptian slavery.
So the LORD said to Moses: "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land (Exodus 7:1-2).
So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me (Exodus 10:3).
If God speaks by you, you are a prophet (or prophetess). If you tell me what God said to you, you’re claiming to be a prophet.
There were also New Testament prophets (Acts 13:1; 15:32; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; 4:11), but there are also many false prophets, and we must discern between them (1 John 4:1). The gift of prophecy ceased, along with the other miraculous spiritual gifts, when the divine revelation was completed, confirmed, and recorded (1 Corinthians 13:8-10).
Once the word of God was found in human vessels, inspired men, the apostles and prophets of Christ (2 Corinthians 1:1; 4:6-7; Ephesians 3:1-5). The Holy Spirit revealed to them God’s thoughts in God’s words (1 Corinthians 2:9-13). The holy apostles and prophets worked mighty signs, wonders, and miracles to confirm the divine message they brought (Mark 16:17-20; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:1-4).
But these same apostles and prophets wrote down these inspired - God-breathed - words in books (Ephesians 3:1-5). These books were gathered together in one, the New Testament, which, along with the Old Testament compose the Scriptures, the writings from God commonly called the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Timothy 5:18; 2 Peter 3:14-16). Now the word of God is found in an inspired book, the Bible, which is completely sufficient to supply all our spiritual needs (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
When someone claims, "God spoke to me," he is claiming the gift of prophecy. But that gift has ceased, and all divine truth for men has been revealed, confirmed, and recorded in Scripture. If you’re having a hard time making a difficult decision, look for guidance from the Scriptures and pray for the wisdom to do what’s best (James 1:5). But don’t confuse your opinions or feelings for divine revelation. Divine truth doesn’t come from a human mind; it’s found in an inspired book. Your feelings are just your feelings, and all they prove is that you feel that way.
Reminds me of a true story Robert F. Turner used to tell. A woman came to him asking him to perform her wedding ceremony. Upon discussion he found she was unscripturally divorced. He said he couldn’t perform the ceremony. She left but later returned and announced, "Brother Turner, God spoke to me and said it’s OK, you can perform my wedding ceremony." Unfazed, he inquired, "Well, did He write it down for you?" "No," she replied. "Well," Brother Turner announced, "God spoke to me too. But He wrote it down for me." And He read to her Matthew 19:9. If God didn’t write it down for you, He didn’t speak to you.
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