Are You Ready for the Judgment Day?

Are You Ready For The Judgment Day?

           The Bible clearly teaches that God has a day prepared when He will judge all men.  To the idolatrous people in Athens, Paul declared that God “…has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:30-31). For many people this will be the saddest day of their life. They did not prepare spend their life preparing for this day.  As a result, they will be lost (Matt. 25:1-10).  To others, this will be the most wonderful day of their life. They spent their life preparing for this day and were ready to go to Heaven (Matt. 25:23).  For The Day of Judgment to be a happy day for us we must understand the nature of this day.  Let us consider several biblical characteristics of The Judgment Day.

           The Judgment Day of God is as certain as the fact that each person must one day die.  The Hebrews writer stated, “It is appointed to man once to die and then the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).  Paul reminds us of the surety of God’s Judgment when he writes, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."  So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:11-12).   It has often been said that there are two things certain in this life: death and taxes.   To that list we would also add The Judgment Day.

           Concerning the day of God’s judgment, Jesus said “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matt. 24:44).  Paul taught the Thessalonians that the Lord’s coming would be as a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2-3).  Paul’s point is you don’t know when a thief is coming to rob you, nor do you know when the Lord is coming again.  Jesus taught that only the Father knew the time of His return and judgment (Matt. 24:36).  The reason God did not tell us when He was coming in judgment is because He knows our nature.  If God told us exactly when He was coming then we would very likely squander our time down to the very last minute and then try to get ready.  We are terrible procrastinators.  Judgment could happen at any time.  Are you ready for it?

           When God judges the world, the standard for judgment will be the Bible.  Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).  Each of us will have our deeds in this life compared with the Word of God to see if they are right (2 Cor. 5:10-11).  If we are going to be judged by God’s word, then we must also live by God’s word.

Are you ready for The Judgment Day?    If you have lived right and been faithful to God then you will have a home in Heaven.  However, if you have not lived by the Bible, but instead have lived a life of sin it will be a sad, sad day.  To those who were unfaithful to His will Jesus said, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).  May God help all of us to prepare for The Judgment Day.

What is a Saving Type of Faith? - Ben Bailey

What is a Saving Type of Faith? 

            It is evident from the Bible that not every type of faith is a saving faith.  For example, the Bible records that even the demons believe (From the Greek word pistis which is used interchangeably for faith), yet we know the demons are lost and their faith only evokes trembling (James 2:19).  Throughout the Bible, there have been people who had faith, but it was not a saving kind of faith.  For example, the Israelites were God’s people during the times of Moses and Joshua, yet because of a lack of true faith (i.e., they believed in God), they perished (Heb. 3:7ff).  What is a saving type of faith really like?

            In Scripture, Faith is correctly defined as obedient trust in God.  At the beginning and end of the Book of Romans, the Holy Spirit defines faith as the “obedience of faith” which saves (Rom. 1:5, 16:26).  It is not simply enough to say that we believe in Jesus Christ.  Belief must be backed up by action (James 2:14-26).  Jesus said that it was not everyone who said: “Lord, Lord” that was going to go to Heaven but those who do the will of the Father in Heaven (Matt. 7:21).  In fact, Jesus used belief/faith synonymously with obedience.  The Lord said “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36, ESV).  Another example of faith being obedient trust can be seen from the great man of faith, Abraham.  Scripture records that “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3; Gen. 15:6; Gal. 3:6).  What does the Scripture mean when it says, “Abraham believed God”?   In Genesis 26:5, we learn what it means.  To describe Abraham’s faith, God said, “Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (Gen. 26:5).  Remember that in the Bible faith and obedience go hand in hand.

            A saving type of faith has complete trust in God.  The woman with the flow of blood trusted the Lord so much that if she could just touch the Lord’s garment she knew she would be well.  Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well” (Mk. 5:34).  Another example is the Centurion in Matthew 8. In this account, the Centurion’s son was sick and Jesus is called to heal him.  Yet, the Centurion feels unworthy that the Lord should come under his roof.  He trusts the Lord so completely that if Jesus will just say the word, his son will be healed.  Of this faith, Christ said, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Matt. 8:10).  Having a trusting faith means that I believe God to the extent that whatever He says I am willing to do it.  Abraham illustrates this fact perfectly because he was willing to kill his only son of promise simply because God told him to (Read Gen. 22).

            A saving faith is a working faith.  To have the kind of faith God approves of, our faith must be active.  Imagine this scenario: A man comes to worship this Sunday and has no clothes to wear and hasn’t eaten in a long time.  As a Christian, you then turn to this man in desperate need and say, “God bless you and we hope you find something to wear and eat.”  Have you had a saving type of faith?  According to James 2, you have not.  James clearly teaches that you cannot say you are a Christian without doing the things God commands, like being benevolent (James 2:18).  If you told someone you were a Christian, how would they know you were unless they could see a picture of your life in the Scriptures?

            After studying these passages and principles, each of us must now look inward (2 Cor. 13:5) and see if we have the correct type of faith.  Is your trust in God complete?  Does your faith get out and do anything for Christ?  If you cannot answer yes to these questions, your faith needs changing into biblical faith—obedient trust.  May our aim be to live in faith so that one day we can have the crown of life (Rev. 2:10)!

"If we never meet again..." - Joey Ferrell

It was a vibrant spring Saturday morning on March 31, 2012. I had plans to work in the yard, get the mower out and cut the early spring grass, daffodils and onions and just relax a bit since it was the first Saturday I had not had plans in several weeks. I was laying in bed at about 7:40 a.m. Kristie had left to take our youngest daughter to a martial arts competition. Our oldest daughter was probably still asleep. And then, my cell phone rang.

“Hello.” The voice on the other end of the phone was one I knew very well, but it was different this day. “Joey, get out here now!” It was my dad. He sounded angry, but also scared and confused. I had no idea what was wrong until the very next words came through what seemed like such a distant connection. “Your mom isn’t breathing. Get here now!”

After I called Kristie and screamed for our oldest daughter, who tried to calm me as we waited on Kristie to get back home from just a few minutes away, I fell on my knees and prayed. I prayed so hard that very moment. It was a prayer like probably none other I had ever prayed.

A few minutes later, we were in route to my mom and dad’s house. When we got there, there was an emergency officer there and he told us they had gone to the hospital. We quickly headed that way as well. When we got there, my dad was in the ER waiting area along with a lady that worked for my mom. Dad was hysterically crying, and he kept saying he didn’t know what was happening. My brother and sister arrived from out of town some time later, but only after what seemed like hours of waiting for the doctor to come to the small waiting room with the heart-wrenching words - “we did all we could do. She just wasn’t strong enough.” I replied, “what do you mean? She wasn’t strong enough for what??” You could see exactly what he meant in his facial expression when he replied, “she was on a lot of medication for her heart.” I knew by the form of past tense statement what he meant. Oh it hurt so bad to hear those last words. I am sure he had more to say, but my mind was tuned out as reality began to sink in. My mother was gone. 66 years old. She had just emailed me and my siblings the night before (and I still keep that email to look at often). It couldn’t be true. She just had her birthday on March 5 and they celebrated their 47th anniversary on March 6. There had to be a mistake. But there wasn’t.

After my siblings arrived, I met them in the parking lot. They did not know as of yet, and that was one of the hardest things I have ever had to tell them. It was definitely something that we could not understand. It just didn’t seem right. It wasn’t fair. This was our mother! But she was gone. We all went into the room where her precious body laid and it was clear that her soul had left her body as there was no life to be found. It was to this day, the saddest I believe I have ever felt. It had been quite a few years since we had lost my grandfather - her father, and a handful of years since we had lost my dad’s mother. This was the first “close” family member to die in a while, and it certainly was not expected.

This past Sunday evening, at the local church service that we attended, a brother led the song “If we never meet again” written by Albert R. Brumley in 1945 (ironically, the year before my mother was born). I love to sing this song and it brings special feelings to my heart as I do. Look at some of the words of the song:

“Soon we'll come to the end of life's journey,
and perhaps we'll never meet anymore,
till we gather in heaven's bright city,
far away on that beautiful shore.

If we never meet again this side of heaven,
as we struggle through this world and its strife,
there's another meeting place somewhere in heaven,
by the side of the river of life,
where the charming roses bloom forever,
and where separations come no more,
if we never meet again this side of heaven,
I will meet you on that beautiful shore.”

Verses 2 and 3 are just as beautiful to read and sing.

After mom passed, I struggled with the idea of how we are to be judged in our lives for an eternal home in heaven. Sure, the bible is very clear on what it takes to be saved through faith, repentance, and obedience in baptism. It is also very clear about what we need to do about remaining faithful, and not wavering to a sinful world. My mom was saved (Mark 16:16). The story I was told was that she tried to teach my dad that her upbringing in a denominational church was just fine…but she studied herself (and him) into the truth of God’s word and they were baptized at the Main Street church of Christ in Manchester, TN some time before I was born. Later in life though, her health kept her from being at worship services a lot and I could not help but wonder how her spiritual well-being may have been as we know that we can certainly steer away from a place of salvation and our “blessed assurance” if Satan can figure out how to get between us and God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Personally, I cannot go for any extended length of time without being fed spiritually and not feel myself coming up short, and I was concerned.

After a few weeks, I was helping my dad clean up some things around the house. I looked up at the bookshelf where all of mom’s “bible books” were. Commentaries, multiple bibles in various translations, study aids, books…and there it was…a spiral notebook that contained mom’s notes of her studies. I asked dad if I could take it with me to read and to bring back. He said of course I could. I am so happy that I did. Within this spiral notebook, I could see a glimpse into the spiritual heart of my mother that there was no other way of seeing. Her notes were fantastic. Lots of scripture. Lots of comments about things she had read. I even found some notes she recorded from a sermon that I had preached that she was able to be in the audience some time before. My heart felt so much better. Some of her notes were much more detailed and scripturally accurate than some preachers’ (including my own) notes were for their own sermons!

My mom has been gone from this life 13 years now. But, her legacy is not. Her spiritual influence is still thriving in me as I recently started my 17th year of working for the Lord in ministry. Her name is on the sign in front of The Gospel of Christ building in honor of her life and influence on others. One of the only pictures that I have of her (with my dad and oldest daughter) hangs on the wall in the building where our office and studio are as that building was built by her and my dad to operate a business in over 25 years ago. (We are blessed to be able to house our efforts here still with renting the property). Certainly, Treva Ferrell still lives on in her legacy.

But, what about that song. You see, we never met again in this life, and we never will. Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed for man once to die, and then the judgment. Every human being will face that day until the Lord returns to call the faithful home and this earth will be laid bare with no life left on it. That day, each one of us will give an account for our lives, the things we have done in the body, whether secret or visible. And that day, we will all find our eternal home…either in heaven with our God and our Savior Christ Jesus, or in the eternal clutches of Satan in a horrible situation that is described as a lake of fire with weeping and gnashing of teeth and where the worm dies not (Revelation 19-20). One day you and I will leave this earth to never meet our friends, coworkers, brothers and sisters in Christ and our families again “this side of heaven.”

Where will you be? Will you meet your loved ones in heaven? Will you meet our God in heaven? Will you be in that bright city and by the shining river of life with no sorrow, no tears, no pain, and no strife? (Revelation 21). Friend, it is my prayer that we will meet on this earth, if only by chance or through our brotherly love for one another, but, if it is not in God’s will that we may, I pray that “If we never meet again this side of heaven…I will meet you on that beautiful shore!” Are you ready? Have you put on Christ in baptism for the remission of your sins? Have you remained faithful to God and His word? If not, it is our prayer at The Gospel of Christ that we can help is some way and we would love to hear from you.

May God bless.

Joey

I'm Glad I Didn't Baptize You! - Joey Ferrell

"I'm glad I didn't baptize you!" - Joey Ferrell

Some years ago, I posted a couple of articles on my personal blog online that gained not only a lot of popularity, but also a lot of negativity. One of those articles was titled “5 reasons NOT to be baptized…and 1 reason TO!” The other, "What must I do to be saved? Oh...well, I don't want to do that..."

The first one got a lot of traffic on social media, a lot of concern by fellow Christians (because the title caused questions and the reader didn’t read the article in full), and actually a little one-on-one discussion on baptism. The second one…oh boy! There was possibly as much negative response from similar and different ideas than maybe there were positive.

Let me explain:

You see, the Bible teaches truth…and truth only. The Bible teaches salvation…and salvation only. The Bible teaches ONE truth and ONE form of doctrine to obey that truth…so where did the negativity come from? Ephesians 4:4-6 says this:

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Did you see that? ONE baptism. Not many…and the emphasis should also be noted that baptism is among these other important “ones.” But, regardless of this verse that would seem simple to see in context, there are so many people who want to question that one form of doctrine when it comes to the nature and obedience of baptism. We could spend days probably on every single objection to baptism, but in this article, I want to focus on one specific argument that has been heard many times over…

“Paul didn’t baptize” or “Paul said it wasn’t important because of 1 Corinthians 1.”

Both of these are similar in argument, but let’s break this down a bit, starting with the context. 1 Corinthians 1:14-15 says this,

I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.

So, yes…Paul DID say that he was glad that he didn’t baptize them. That is a hard statement to read…or is it really? Let’s focus a little more on the context at hand. Paul is addressing a major problem in the church in Corinth. There was sectarian division. Some were claiming to be of Paul…others Apollos and so on. Paul answers this with the question of “Is Christ divided?” He also posed the question of “Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (v. 10-13)

Here is the problem with this statement that some will want to use to say that we do not have to be baptized to be saved. Paul NEVER said that one must not be baptized…nor did he say that he never baptized anyone!

While I am not sure how many will read this article, I can BOLDLY state something similar to what Paul said in verses 14-15 - “I baptized none of you except…”. It would be a blessing to know that someone I baptized into Christ (as the steward of God’s baptismal commands) is reading this very article…but in all likelihood, that is not going to be the case! I don’t keep a record of dates and names, but I can assure you that the list of people that I have personally baptized into Christ is much shorter than Paul’s would ever be! How can I say that? Well, remember what he said…”except Crispus and Gaius”. Wait…wouldn’t that indicate that they were both in that audience? I believe that to be the absolute case…and thus, Paul’s statement is a resounding truth in that the audience that included these men as well as possibly many others in this epistle as it was read had not personally been baptized by him…and his point is referring exactly back to what he had already stated about feeling some importance by the one who baptized a person instead of the One in which they were baptized into!

So, how many people DID Paul actually baptize? Well…I don’t know. We can ask him in heaven if the question is that important for us to know…but…notice this passage where we find that Crispus obeyed the gospel in Acts 18:8:

Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

So…yes, Paul baptized Crispus, who was in the audience in the letter to the Corinthians, along with his household…and notice the last part of the verse - “and MANY…heard, believed, and were baptized.”

So, what about Gaius?

Turn to Romans 16 and you will find this Christian brother listed in his good work with the church that he is a member. We don’t seem to have a record of his actual baptism, but 6 times in scripture, this brother is listed. Most of these indicate that he is a Christian and doing work for God. In Romans 16, he is part of the church…and who knows how many in that congregation were baptized at the same setting that Gaius was with Paul. Only God and Paul would know.

So…using this argument to “debunk” baptism is a fallible argument at best. Paul baptized. He baptized at least 2 men and as the record would speculate…many others at these same settings.

With that said…I personally did not baptize any of you…except those that I actually baptized. Paul is no different…and God’s word is clear.

Do you need to be baptized for the remission of sins? Do you know someone who is unsettled on this command from God? If so, we would love to help.

My Most Contrary Convert - Ben Bailey

My Most Contrary Convert

                  Who is the one person you must work on most with the Gospel? Who would you, more than anybody else, like to see conform to the image of Christ? If your answer is anyone other than self, you are not looking in the right direction. Jerry Bridges expressed it correctly when he said, “Preach the gospel to yourself every day.”  We all believe in preaching the Gospel. Reaching our friends and neighbors with the good news is a high priority. But like Mr. Bridges said, I need to preach the Gospel to myself first every day. I am my most contrary convert! Yet, it is encouraging to know I am not the only one who felt this way.

                  The Apostle Paul said, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).  Paul knew it was a challenge every day to crucify self and live for the Master (Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 15:31). Like us, his struggle was real. Paul said, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (Rom. 7:24-25).  Like the Apostle Paul we must never stop preaching the Gospel to ourselves and striving to live faithful to Jesus every day. Do you remember what Paul said about the struggle? He said, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12-14).

                  While it is indeed a wrestling match with the flesh every day, do not give up. Keep fighting the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12). Keep dying to self and crucifying self every day (Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 15:31)! If our mindset is that we are not going to give up and we are going to keep working on self and walking in the light, then we have the right mindset to win the battle (Luke 9:23; 1 John 1:7). Keep working on your most contrary convert—Yourself! He is worth it! —Ben Bailey

This One Thing I Do - Ben Bailey

This One Thing I Do

            I recently came across a quote that at first struck me as kind of odd and maybe even selfish, but the more I thought about it the more I realized there was an important gem of wisdom in it that needs to be lived.  Here is the quote.  Warren Buffett once said, "The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything."  Initially this sounds kind of selfish.  However, when you take a little time to think about the point it’s not selfishness but single-minded focus that’s being exalted.  And that is definitely an idea that God Himself exalts in Scripture.

            The Apostle Paul stated this truth about as plainly as anyone in Scripture when he said: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).  The one thing that took most of Paul’s attention, time, focus and energy above all else was going to Heaven. 

            When Jesus spoke to the Rich Young Ruler, who had all the potential in the world to be successful spiritually, Jesus pointed out his lack of single-minded focus.  Jesus said to this young man, “one thing you lack” (Mark 10:21).  That man could never really be successful spiritually because his great possessions would always be in the way!

            Do you remember when Martha came to Jesus to get Him to instruct her sister to help her with some of the chores?  Martha’s request to Jesus is “tell her then to help me” (Luke 10:40).    Jesus lovingly said to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary” (Luke 10:41-42).  Serving was not a bad thing, but at that moment when the Master Teacher is in your home learning was priority number one!

            The Scripture so beautifully states this single-minded focus in Psalm 27.  The Holy Spirit says, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple” (Ps. 27:4). For David, dwelling in God’s house and with God was the one thing that was more important than anything else.

            What about me and you today?  In our fast-paced notification crazy world it seems like we are being pulled from and to so many different directions that sometimes it makes your head spin.  Like Mr. Buffett said, we need to learn to say no to everything else but one thing—putting God first.  May God help us to have a single-minded focus and to put everything else behind that!

Oh, you wanted fries with that? - Joey Ferrell

If you went to a fast food restaurant and ordered a combo that was described as a sandwich or protein (ha funny at fast food) and a side dish like fries, when you get to the window and your bag feels a little light and you know it is short of what you ordered, what do you do?

1. Do you ask the worker why you have no fries?

2. Do you go back around and check the menu to make sure that is what you saw?

3. Do you look at your receipt to see if what you asked and paid for was short of what you received?

4. Do you just pay for it and have the opinion that it’s good enough to have part of what was asked for?

5. Do you just drive off angry and upset at the person who short-changed you?

I had something like this happen a few weeks ago. Except it wasn’t the fries, it was my wife’s burger - her main dish for dinner. We had left an amusement park. It was late. Most places were closed and the ones that weren’t had long lines. So, once we ordered a large order for our daughter and grandkids, after having to repeat several times what we required for our dinner, it was so very frustrating to have the very first drinks handed to us that were not what was ordered.

The drinks weren’t an issue because actually we had drinks from the park but it didn’t make sense to pay more for individual items than was required when the complete meal was what had the ultimate goal of being fed. So, we had drinks. Some were wrong sizes but we had them.

Then the bags started being handed over. As I look in the mirror and at the line that had formed, as hungry as we were I just wanted to get the food and go! I was ready. It was time to head toward home. It was late. I was hungry!

So, as we round the curve of the drive thru line, it is noticed that we were short the $7 burger she had ordered. Our order was not complete. I became angry as the lobby was closed and I would have had to get back in the line behind several cars to try to get it right the second time.

But, I didn’t. I drove off. I offered her my meal. She said no it’s okay. I felt bad as I tried to manage to eat some of mine as we drove away.

I was thinking: why couldn’t they get a simple order right? Did they not hear what I said? Oh wait, it was on the screen and I actually confirmed what was said by what was written. I said yes it’s ok. They said ok we hear what you have ordered. Yet, we were short.

Now, I could go on and tell you about the silence for the next few miles as my wife had said “you should have checked it before you drove off.” But I won’t! Husbands I’m sure you know how I felt!!! Instead, about 5 miles down the road, I stopped at a different restaurant, waited in line, ordered a burger, verified the order, paid, accepted the bag at the window and guess what…checked the contents against what had been stated as the order at the menu board and the window. The order was right and now she had her meal to eat.

Now, you’ve probably already answered some of those questions above in your own way, but let’s put some logic into application.

On the day of judgment, it will be too late to think about what was wrong with the “order”. There will be no guessing at who was wrong. When we compare what we receive to what was stated, will we fall short because of what was heard, what was processed, what was done as we drove off with less than completeness? You may be asking what I am referring to.

It’s kind of simple really. When I ordered that meal, it was supposed to have a burger and a side. Typically the side is left off in this situation, but not here, the main part of the meal was missing…and the side would not suffice to fill the fullness of the need. When my Lord said in Mark 16:16, that whoever believes AND is baptized will be saved, He did not go on to say “but if you leave off one of these you can still be saved.” No, instead, He gave a brash warning. He said, he who believes NOT will be condemned, implying that the item left off is not complete without both being present. Now put that into application here.

In my own words of analogy:

He who orders and eats a burger and fries will be full. He who receives just burger will not receive the fullness of the order. He who receives just fries will still be hungry.

Yet, there are many people who will say “you just have to eat the burger to be full”, but that does not remedy the fact that the one who ordered the burger and fries, paid for them, expected them, and was left short of what they ordered will be pleased. And certainly, the one who just gets fries and no burger…well, they are left much less fed than the other. But both are still short.

So, is salvation based on belief? Certainly. How about repentance. Of course. Confession? Absolutely. But, without the rest of the “order” being produced, the “meal” is incomplete and disobedience is evident…even if it was just an oversight of what was said.

I could have gotten back in line. Matter of fact, the restaurant didn’t close until 2 a.m. so my excuse of not wanting to wait in line to fulfill the order lies upon me really and not the restaurant. But, just as the second restaurant had on its sign “open until midnight,” at some point, the store would have been closed and my wife would not have been able to eat that night.

What about the “order” that Jesus himself “placed” in His words to us? He said you have to believe - John 8:24. He also said you have to repent - Luke 13:3. He said you have to confess - Matthew 10:32-33. And He said that His “order” includes being immersed for remission of sin - Mark 16:15-16.

Friends, don’t wait until the restaurant is closed to realize you did not get part of the order. Do not get angry with the workers that may come up short, but rather tell them that there should be more based on the “written order”. Don’t come up hungry at the end of the day by doing part of these things, yet never fulfilling the hunger that is of your soul. Salvation is the most important thing to get right in this life. Burgers and fries are tasty, but in the end, let’s find the bread and water that Jesus has offered to deliver once we have completed His order.

Heaven, Our Forever Home - Ben Bailey

Heaven, Our Forever Home

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God” (Heb. 4:9).  With these words the Hebrews writer reminds us of our forever home—Heaven.  Unlike the Israelites who were heading toward the physical home of Canaan, Christians are journeying toward our final destination of Heaven.  As we think about that forever home each of us are probably made to ask, “What will Heaven really be like?”  Notice how the Bible describes the beauty of Heaven.

          Our forever home will be a wonderful place of rest after the struggles of this life have ended.  Each one of us gets tired after a long hard day of work.  We enjoy putting up our feet at the end of a long day and relaxing.  While earthly rest will not begin to compare to heavenly rest, what a joy it is to know that Heaven is a place of rest.  There will be no more labor, toil, and striving against sin.    The writer of Hebrews describes it in this way.  “There remains a rest for the people of God” (Heb. 4:9).  This rest contrasted with and was greater than the promise rest Joshua had given the people of Israel in Canaan (Heb. 4:1ff). 

          Our forever home will be great because it will be a place where we can worship God fully.  Someone has said, “If you don’t enjoy worship here on earth, you probably won’t enjoy Heaven either.”  Why?  Because much of what we see going on in Heaven is worship to Almighty God.  For example, in Revelation 4&5 those in Heaven are throwing down their crowns and worshipping God in song.  This gives us insight as to what will happen in Heaven (Rev. 4:9-10).

          Our forever home will be amazing because it is described as a place of endless joy.   One of the great things about Heaven will be the absolute joy that God’s people possess.  All of us will admit that one of the worst things about this life is sadness.  Isn’t it wonderful to know that Heaven is a place of infinite joy?  To the servant who used his talents to the glory of God Jesus said, “…enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matt. 25:21).  

          How wonderful it is to know that when the toils and struggles of this life are over and we hear the Words, “Well done, good and faithful servant enter into the joys of your Lord” that we can partake in all the wonder and beauty of our Heavenly Home.  May God help each of us to life in such a way that Heaven will be our forever home!                            --Ben Bailey

"Go to church or the devil will get ya!" - Joey Ferrell

*Disclaimer: I do not own this sign or this image. It was found on the internet with dozens of others taken on I-65 North just outside of Montgomery Alabama.

Go to church or the devil will get ya! Well….sort of. I remember passing this sign probably 10-11 years ago coming back from a family trip to Florida. We were on I-65 north just outside of Montgomery. We had stopped at this sweets store that had a pink cow…yes, a real pink cow (It closed a few years afterwards) and had been laughing about that for miles…and then…there it was! I was like “WOW, did you see that sign?”

The sign was originally placed at this locaton by a local “Christian and Patriot” businessman using a metal devil from a former gas station in Prattville according to an article also found on the internet. It was toppled in a storm in 2016 and remained down until 2019 when it made a new appearance. It still stands today with the sons of the creator maintaining it. It catches a lot of attention and has been shared on social media sites for years.

Enough about the sign though…let’s get to the message! Let’s dissect it a bit:

“Go to church” - the world sees this as a valid statement. Even those in the church will use the phrase often. I am just as guilty in tradition as most others are too. But, we need to think about this a bit. We ARE the church. Certainly, we go to be WITH the church, and the semantics of the phrase can certainly make sense thinking about it that way.
In Acts 2, the Bible says that about 3,000 were added to “the church” and they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine - and it said that they met daily from house to house.

Throughout Acts, we see the church growing because they were hearing the truth and being added to the church…and then they would go AS the church.

When Paul instructed Timothy and Titus, and others, they were told to go TO the church in different areas, and of course, John records the words of Jesus TO the churches in Asia, each identified geographically.

So…in reality, we go WITH the church, TO the church and semantically TO church.

But what is there about “going to church” that will keep the devil from getting you? Well, nothing really…or almost nothing…with the wrong attitude at least. Hebrews 10:19-25 gives us a very good reasoning why we should come together. Ephesians 4 talks about the varying roles of those in the church and how the function of the teaching of the church is to increase growth, edify the saints, and strengthen our faith.

So, how does that keep the devil from getting you? Well, it doesn’t, but it does make it much harder as you are surrounded by like-minded people that care about your soul when you are with the saints of the church. In the book of Job, the devil was said to have been going to and fro across the earth. He is seeking those who he can devour, so how do we stop him from getting us? We increase our faith, we draw near to God, we flee from the devil, and what better way to do that than to be with the church?

While it is true that many feel that technology has opened new doors in “going to church,” but truly, there is nothing like being with the saints, worshiping, singing, praying together, communing, getting and giving handshakes and hugs, crying with one another, rejoicing with one another and lifting one another up as is described in Hebrews 10.

Maybe you or someone you know needs a little encouragement….let me invite you to “go to church” and find that encouragement. These are our people. They love you and me. They need you and me. And we need them!

Go to church…..or the devil will get you!

An Honest Look At the Reality of Satan in Our Life - Ben Bailey

An Honest Look At the Reality of Satan in Our Life

Dwight Moody gave a candid  look into the reality of Satan working in our lives when he said, “I believe Satan to exist for two reasons: first, the Bible says so; and second, I’ve done business with him.”   If Christians are not careful, we can become immune to the idea of Satan and His Power and overlook the challenges he brings to our lives today. 

                The Lord reminded us of the present reality of Satan when he taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One” (Mt. 6:13).  Jesu warned one of his staunchest followers of this reality when he said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan desires to have you that he may sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31).  In the long ago, we are reminded of the reality of Satan when God said to him, “From where do you come?”  His response was telling, “From going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it” (Job 1:7).    Like a pacing lion confined to its cage, Satan is an active and present reality just waiting to pounce on us (1 Peter 5:8).

                Of course, like Mr. Moody, I knew Satan was a present reality not only because the Bible says so, but because I too have done business with him.  I have felt the sting of the bad deals I made with him (1 Cor. 15:56).  I have received his paycheck in the mail, and it wasn’t a good bargain at all (Rom. 6:23).  Satan has held my head under water and tried to drown me many times (Ps. 38:4).  Like the fellow who a con artist has deceived, you think we would learn our lesson.  Have you done business with the Devil?  Are you currently doing business with the Devil?  I assure you; You will not get a fair deal!

                Since Satan is an ever-present reality in our lives, how do we deal with that problem?  Thankfully, the Bible teaches us the plan to overcome Him.  Scripture tells us that Satan has at least one weakness…He is a coward and a quitter!  If we resist Him (and please understand that you CAN resist Him), He will flee from us!  The Word of God says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9).  Jesus’ example teaches us this powerful truth.  After Jesus' temptation, The Word of God says, “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13).  The key to overcoming the enemy lies in having the faith to say “NO” to Satan’s advances.  You can do it!  Yes, he is real.  Yes, he is powerful.  But “He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Decide today to quit doing business with the Devil and send him packing!                                                                                          --Ben Bailey

What Must I do to be Saved? (Part 5) - Ben Bailey

What Must I do to be Saved? {Part 5}

A final step in the plan of salvation that is overlooked by many is the act of baptism. While many in our religious world would agree that a person needs to believe, repent, and confess Jesus as Lord to be saved, they would not teach that a person must be baptized to be saved. Let’s notice what the Bible teaches us about the necessity of being baptized to be saved.

1. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). It is clear from this text that Jesus believed and taught that baptism was essential to salvation. A parallel to this language might be: He who eats and drinks will be filled. If a person eats only is he filled? No. If he only gets a drink is he filled? No. He is not filled until he eats and drinks. The same is true for baptism. Unless a person is willing to do all that God says, he will not be saved.

2. “Then Peter said to them, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). This is one of the clearest verses on the importance of baptism. The people on Pentecost asked what they needed to do to be saved from their sins. Peter responded to their question (how do we get rid of our sin problem?) by saying “You must repent and be baptized to have your sins forgiven." Peter clearly taught that baptism was FOR the remission of past sins.

3. At Paul’s conversion he was commanded to: “ Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). From this text, we learn that the purpose of baptism is to wash away one’s sins. If baptism is the point at which one’s sins have been washed away, then those who have not been baptized have not had their sins washed away. Also, we learn how a person calls on the Lord’s name. Like Paul, to truly call on the name of the Lord a person must do all that God says to be saved, which includes being baptized into Christ.

4. The Apostle Peter clearly stated, “Baptism does now also save us” (1 Peter 3:21). One of the key words here is the little word also. Not alone. Combined with hearing God’s Word (Heb. 11:6), believing in Jesus Christ (John 8:24), Repenting of one’s past sins (Luke 13:3), and confessing Jesus as Lord (Rom. 10:10) one is saved. Truly, as the final condition of salvation baptism does now save us! If the Apostle Peter said baptism does now save us, how can anyone say baptism is not necessary for salvation?

Dear friend, have you truly obeyed the gospel as the Bible teaches. There are many who will just teach that all you have to do to be saved is believe in Christ. That’s all. Nothing more is required. That is not the full plan of salvation. The Bible teaches that we are not saved “by faith only” (James 2:24). It is our prayer to God that you will study these very important matters and obey the will of God.

To Learn what to do after one is baptized, check out our video after baptism, now what: https://thegospelofchrist-tgoc.subspla.sh/svknvdf

It Never Gets Old - and You Had a Part! - Joey Ferrell

I received a video in an email a few weeks ago. It was from the man in the picture’s grandfather-in-law, He had reached out to tell us about his granddaughter’s husband watching one of the episodes on baptism that has been airing throughout October and November.

He said, “The last weeks lesson on baptism helped my grand daughter’s husband to be baptized".”

We hope you will join us in praying for Clayton and for his journey as a new babe in Christ. To God be the glory!

Today, as we opened the incoming mail, there was a letter from a new Christian in North Carolina. He said that he had known what he was needing to do for many years, but in his 80s, he had been studying through some of our transcripts on baptism and was recently baptized at the local church where he lives and has attended for years.

Another soul added to the church. To God be the glory!

What a blessing! We don’t always hear of the good news, but we always are hopeful that one way or another we are reaching lost souls through television, our app, transcripts, articles, studies with people that call in or who come to speaking engagements that we may be present.

These two precious souls obeyed the gospel because they heard the word of God (Romans 10:17), they believed in what they heard through the local preaching and through opportunities to study such as The Gospel of Christ programs (John 8:24). They showed their desire to change their lives in repentance (Acts 3:19-20), confessed Jesus as God’s own living son (Matthew 10:32-33), and they were immersed in the watery grave of baptism for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16). It was at that point that they became my brothers in Christ…your brothers in Christ…members of the one true church - the Lord’s church and they were added to that one body by the blood of the Lamb! (Acts 2:47). Hallelujah Praise Jehovah!

Why do we share this? Because of you! Many of you pray for our efforts, some even daily. We appreciate that so much. Many of you encourage us by sharing our content and telling others about this work. We certainly are thankful for that. Some of you financially support this work…and to that we are unimaginably grateful. You see, it is not our work…it is the Lord’s work. He has entrusted you and I to sow the seed, cultivate it, water it…but it is God who will give that increase. We are soldiers working together to do what we can to reach souls by teaching and living our lives sharing the Gospel with others (1 Timothy 4:16). You were a big part of these precious souls in this process…and to that we say thank you…and to God be all glory!

What Must I do to be Saved? {Part 4} - Ben Bailey

What Must I do to be Saved? {Part 4}

The fourth step in God’s plan of salvation is confession. The Apostle Paul reminded the Roman Christians that “with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). From this text it is evident that confession is an important part of the plan of salvation. Let’s take just a moment to see exactly what the Bible teaches about confession.

A Confession of Faith in Christ. When one confesses that Jesus is the Christ, he is confessing his faith in the Son of God to save him (Acts 8:36-37). A true follower of Christ will not be ashamed to be called a Christian in any situation. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…” (Rom. 1:16). When we confess our faith in Christ, it is a faithfulness we will never deny even if our life is at stake (Rev. 2:10). During the first century Christians often faced death by affirming their faith in Christ. One such story is that of Polycarp. Polycarp was taken before the Roman counsel and asked to deny faith in Christ. With great boldness Polycarp looked at the counsel that held his life in their hands and responded, “For Eighty and six years my Lord has not denied me, how can I then deny Him?” How great it would be if all Christians made the great confession with this much conviction!

A Confession of Faithfulness to Christ. An individual’s confession of Christ also means that he is willing to faithfully follow the Lord every day of his life. Jesus said, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 10:32-33). The confession Jesus is speaking of here is not just simply naming the name of Christ. Jesus had already told many of these people that just simply saying “Lord” would not save anyone (Luke 6:46; Mt. 7:21). In this text, Jesus is talking about a confession of faith in Him through one’s actions. When I confess Jesus is the Son of God, I am confessing to follow him faithfully all the days of my life. Confession is more than a one-time act, it is a continual walk in the steps of the Savior (1 Peter 2:21).

Like the Ethiopian Eunuch may we have the courage to say, "I Believe Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God" and back that up by the way we live faithful to Him (Acts 8:36-37). Stay tuned to our next post, as we discuss the next step in God's Plan of Salvation: Baptism.

To learn more about the complete Plan of Salvation check out this video:

https://thegospelofchrist-tgoc.subspla.sh/wcnmxp2

What Must I do to be Saved? {Part 3} - Ben Bailey

What Must I do to be Saved? {Part 3}

The third step in God’s plan of salvation is repentance. In Luke 13:3 Jesus expressed the necessity of repentance when He said, “Unless you repent you shall all likewise perish.” Peter preached to the Jews that they needed to repent and be converted so that their sins might be blotted out (Acts 3:19). Since repentance is such an important step in the plan of salvation, let’s examine what the Bible teaches about repentance.

Not Sorrow Alone. Many in our modern world equate repentance with crying and tears. While sorrow is a part of repentance, sorrow alone is not real repentance. The Scripture says that Godly sorrow produces repentance, not that it is repentance (2 Cor. 7:10). Part of repentance is being sorrowful for our sins, but it must go beyond that.

A Changed Will. Repentance is best defined as a changed will that leads to a changed way. Joel encouraged the Israelites to change/rend their hearts and not just their garments (Joel 2:13). The point Joel is making is very clear. We must not just have an outward sign of repentance, but a changed heart. One version renders Joel 2:13 as “tear your hearts, not your garments”. True repentance implies that I must first be willing to change the way I think.

A Changed Way of Life. The second part of repentance demands that we show our repentance by a changed life. John told the hypocritical Jews to “bring forth fruits worthy of repentance…” (Matt 3:8). Christians are commanded to walk in a newness of life (Romans 6:4). Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians that they had once lived a sinful life, but were not living that way anymore (1 Cor. 6:9ff). To truly repent, one must change the way he thinks and the way he acts.

Dear friend, have you truly changed your will and your way to the will and way of God? If we are going to be saved, we must truly repent. May God give us the courage and the strength to possess biblical repentance!

To learn more about the plan of salvation you can watch this video: https://thegospelofchrist-tgoc.subspla.sh/wcnmxp2

What Must I do to be Saved? [Part 2] - Ben Bailey

What Must I do to be Saved? [Part 2]

There is nothing more important in the entire world than our eternal soul. Jesus said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul” (Mark 8:36-37). God has made it possible for all people to be saved and live the best life (1 Timothy 2:4, John 10:10). Since this is the case we must ask the question, “What must I do to be saved?” In our last post, we noticed the first step in God’s plan of salvation was to hear/listen to God’s Word. Today, let’s look at the second step in God’s plan of salvation.

The second step in the plan of salvation is belief. Jesus said, “If you do not believe that I am He, you will surely die in your sins” (Jn. 8:24). True belief is always an active obedient faith in God. Jesus taught the multitudes that they could not just call him “Lord” and not do the things He said (Matt. 7:21). Believing in Jesus means that we are willing to trust and follow him with our whole hearts. A beautiful example of this is seen in Acts 8. Phillip has just started teaching the Ethiopian Nobleman the gospel plan of salvation. As he teaches him about Christ the Bible tells us they came to a certain water and he wanted to be immersed. Phillip then tells him, “If you believe with all your heart you may” (Acts 8:37). From this text, we learn that belief is a deep conviction that Jesus is Christ the Savior of the world. We also learn that we must be willing to do whatever Jesus says if we really believe in Him (Acts 8:38ff).

While we do not want to underemphasize the importance of belief, please understand that belief alone will never save anyone. In fact, the word belief never means mental acceptance only. Belief always means an active, obedient trust in God (Gal 5:6). We understand this in everyday life. For example, imagine a person is out in the middle of the lake about to drown and someone comes along and throws them a life preserver. If that person just believes the life preserver will save them and never does anything to “be saved” (Acts 2:40), will he be saved? Absolutely not! That person must take steps of action such as reaching for the preserver, holding on, and helping pull himself in. Likewise, there are steps of action associated with belief that one must do to be saved. It is so sad that there are thousands of denominational people who teach that all one must do to be saved is believe in Jesus and accept Him as your personal Savior. Nothing could be further than the truth. Did you know that the Bible never says belief alone will save? In fact, the only time belief alone is used in the Bible, James says it will not save a person (James 2:24). True belief is always associated with the action of doing what God says to be saved (See Hebrews 11).

Have you believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior? Are you willing to put your trust in Him and do what He says to be saved? Be looking for our next post tomorrow as we discuss the most challenging step in salvation--repentance.

You can also watch our video on the plan of salvation from this link: https://thegospelofchrist-tgoc.subspla.sh/wcnmxp2

What Must I do to Be Saved? - Part 1 - Ben Bailey

**This is an article that is part of a series of 5

What Must I Do to Be Saved? [Part 1]

The Bible says that our Lord and Savior came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). If we are honest with ourselves, we realize that Jesus came to seek and save every one of us. God says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Scripture teaches us that our sins separate us from Him and cause spiritual death (Isa. 59:1-2, Rom. 6:23). The good news is that God does not want anyone to be lost. He wants all people to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice for all people to be saved (Heb. 2:9; 1 John 2:1-2). The Word of God was given to us so we can know the truth about salvation and be saved (John 8:32; 1 John 5:13). That being true, each person must ask a very important question. What must I do to be saved? Over the next few posts, we are going to examine in detail exactly what the Bible teaches one must do to be saved. As we do this, I want to ask you to honestly examine yourself and see if you are saved the way the Bible teaches (2 Cor. 13:5). Let us notice the first step in God’s plan of salvation.

1. Hear God’s Word. The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). And “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6). In the past I am afraid that we have underemphasized the importance of hearing God’s word. What does it mean to really hear God’s word? Please understand that hearing God’s word does not mean you accept anything someone says, even if they say it is from the Bible. By hearing God’s word, two fundamental principles are taught.

First, hearing God’s word means that we recognize its authority. As God said on the Mount of Transfiguration, “This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear Him” (Mk. 9:7). The Bible is the ultimate and final authority in all matters of religion (Matt. 28:18ff, Col. 3:17, Jn. 12:48). On all matters of religion and salvation, we must let the voice of God be the final authority. The question of Romans 4:3 should stand out in our minds. “What do the Scriptures say?” Too many times we hear the voice of other men or commentaries or church manuals over the voice of God. When we choose to hear God’s Word we are letting God have the final say in our salvation.

Second, hearing God’s word means that we give a diligent effort to study, search, seek, and test what we hear. In the process of hearing, one must use the reasoning capabilities God has given him to discern truth from error (I Thes. 5:21). We need to be good hearers like the noble Bereans who “…received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11, ASV). Let us be careful and intelligent in how we hear (Lk. 8:18), what we hear (Mk. 4:24), and Who we hear (Mk. 9:7). To hear God’s word requires that we engage our ears and our mind and make an intellectual decision about what is said based on the Bible as our authority.

Dear friend, who have we been listening to on the matter of salvation? Do we listen to God alone? Or, do we listen to God and someone else’s opinion or teaching? Remember, only the voice of God and His Word will matter on Judgment Day (John 12:48). Remember to read our next post as we will discuss the very important but highly misunderstood step of belief.

You can also watch this video that discusses more about the Plan of Salvation in detail: https://thegospelofchrist-tgoc.subspla.sh/wcnmxp2

"Why didn't they offer us a bible study?" - Anonymous

****Editor’s note: This story was used with permission by the author, and is shared for the benefit of opening the eyes of some of our own shortcomings in evangelism and reaching the lost. The article is being published in its entirety without any edits as requested by the family that shared it with us. Their names are not included, neither are the congregations in which they visited. This is just a raw story to help encourage us all to be the best we can.

As an aside, The Gospel of Christ would certainly encourage congregations and individuals to take a look at how this family felt that they were left behind by the church. Our prayer is for this family to continue loving the Lord and that we can all be an encouragement to others in what we see through the eyes of others.

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Their journeys to the baptistry both began as young as 8 and 9 years old. You see both became denominational Christians at those ages. Their hearts were sincere with belief and they did exactly the steps they were told. Fast forward, they are married and continue following the traditions that they were raised in, the Southern Baptist Church. About 4 years ago they moved to a new area and decided to find a church that they could serve God in. In the past, they were always searching for the perfect one to fit their wants. This is when they felt their hearts changing and turning more towards God. They dove right in.  Both started teaching Sunday school classes and volunteering at the local mission house in the community. It felt good to be serving others for the Lord.  The husband was teaching an adult class and the wife the Elementary grades.  They began learning specific things about obedience and the importance of baptism, but they still did not understand it all quite yet. The leadership in the church got noticeably unsound so with heavy hearts they left after 3 years. Amid that they had their second daughter. What joy this brought their lives, but this made it more of an urgent matter for them.  They wanted to lead their family correctly according to His Word.  The husband started searching churches with the oldest daughter while the wife was at home recouping with the newborn. He was more mindful to check the scripture against what the preacher was teaching, and quickly was seeing error.   They went to a few different non-denominational churches and ended up back into a comfort zone of the Baptist congregations again, but this next one was considered Independent. After several weeks they noticed Calvinistic beliefs coming out.  They were familiar with Calvinism and knew from studying that specifically it was contradicting to God’s Word so they left. At this point they are tired and weary.  They just wanted to find a church home and family.  Their love for God was growing as they continued in personal studies and prayer.

 You need to know that they had been around Christians their entire lives.  Growing up in West TN and spending their adult lives in Middle TN, but none of them looked or acted any different from any other denominational Christian.  Their view on the Church of Christ was just another Denomination.  Hearing terrible things of the Church.  For instance, it was a cult, baptism being overly emphasized, and they were the only ones going to heaven. Praying and studying the husband felt a shift and threw out the idea of trying the churches of Christ.  They were very nervous and uncomfortable with that.  By trusting in God, taking deep breaths, and praying they visited their first Church of Christ. It was different, but familiar with the Baptist church minus the instrumental music and observation of the Lord’s supper.  They felt very uncomfortable but continued to go and share with this congregation that they had left the Baptist church and were wanting to follow sound doctrine. They were searching for the truth but didn’t realize what that meant at the time. They felt they were hearing the truth there.  Some people were friendly but most not so friendly.  The wife felt judgement quickly to attend on Wednesday even if it was a baby’s bedtime.   They did not understand at this point faithful attendance.   They hadn’t even obeyed the gospel yet!  They really stepped out of their comfort zone when they accepted an informal lunch invitation at a congregant’s home with two other couples. The husband was candid about what they were going through and were searching for a sound church that preached sound doctrine. There was even a convert from a Baptist church there!  He shared his tension filled story of how his parents and him do not get along because of his conversion. That was intense and they still had no clue exactly why there would have been such a line drawn.  They met deacons and elders and the preacher, and no one offered a bible study. Not one. Because that church seemed unfriendly, they decided to try a neighbor’s church. It was Church of Christ too, but not until later did they realize this was what is called and (Non-institutional). The friendliness factor was there.  They enjoyed the preaching and the people. It did not take long to meet with the two elders and get serious about becoming members there. Still no bible study offered.  They began to study more on Baptism specifically because the elders asked them a question, “were you baptized for the remission of sins?” See to join this church you had to have been baptized for the remission of sins. They thought and thought, and both decided, yes. Why would we get baptized for any other reason?  Still studying, the Lord was helping them put pieces together.  They were still under the belief that we were saved before baptism, but that it was step of obedience after your salvation belief. The eldership never asked any other specific questions to help them.  It was like, if you say yes, then sure you can join up with us.  

Now the wheels were spinning and hearts were opening so they studied even harder. Scripture after scripture they found on how baptism signifies the death, burial and resurrection, and how it’s the antitype that saves us, and flat out plain as day Mark 16:16.  They realized that it is not about just one step, it is about all of them together. The gospel is perfectly put together and easy to see when you simply read and study the texts with a sincere open heart.  

Their driving force was from a sincere love for The Heavenly Father. They ended up listening to a Baptist converts podcast one night getting ready for bed. That evening a lightbulb went off simultaneously for them. Not all of what they were taught growing up was false, but that they were led falsely with the gospel. You see, they are products of you cannot be taught wrong and obey right. They wanted to become members of this church but did not realize they needed to be added to the Lord’s church. The thought of their families hindered their baptisms that night. The next day after those conversations occurred nothing was stopping them from obeying the gospel!  Their families were confused but somewhat supportive. They grew so much through continued personal studies and great GBN resources that they found on their own being broadcast locally on TV.  They were on fire to share the gospel, but no one else was. The more verbal they got to encourage biblical things the more they felt that friendliness leave. It became an intolerable environment to worship. The more they learned about God’s Word and His Church they realized error quickly. Remember that vague question they asked them concerning the reason for their past baptism? There were at least two people in that church who had not obeyed the gospel but were accepted members. It broke their hearts for them to be led so incorrectly.   They attempted talking to one lady by sharing their conversion story with her. She had been convinced she was fine because of elderships vague leadership and acceptance. There were other big issues, and they took these matters to eldership, too. They were aware, but the elders had let the leaven grow so much that it would be too hard to get it out now. They had to leave. Discouraged and sad all they had was God’s Word and programs on GBN that kept them encouraged and striving to share the Good News!! Their zeal had not wavered, and they continued attending other congregations. They seemed to find one that the preaching was sound, and the appeal of several young families was promising. Their loneliness and eagerness to be a part of a family of God made them identify quickly. 

Fast forward to today.  They yet again had to remove themselves from a congregation over unsound leadership arising in this case in an absence of an eldership.   

Questions that flood their minds- Why do we feel like our transformation is not understood by many?  Weren’t we all outside of Christ and converted by the gospel?  Why does it feel the churches of Christ are attempting to convert us to their denomination away from the 1st century standards of the New Testament Church?  Why are brethren more interested in clinging to their own man-made traditions while they point fingers at how the denominational world is wrong?  Why is there an arrogance and pridefulness towards the lost?  Why are members of The Church unwilling to share the good news of the Gospel with all they encounter?  How can we be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear 1 Peter 3:15 when we have lost people every Sunday sit next to us in our pews and we pretend they aren’t lost?  When did Matthew 28:19-20 become an option for a Christian and not a command?  When did offering a simple bible study become the furthest thing from a Christian’s mind? 

"The Blood of Christ " - Ben Bailey

The Blood of Christ

The Holy Spirit says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins” (Heb. 9:22). The Old Testament Levitical system was a very bloody system (Lev. 1-5). For every sin, there was a blood sacrifice to be offered (Lev. 4:1-12). Yet, the Scripture records that the blood of bulls and goats could never really take away sin (Heb. 10:3-4). How thankful we should be that Jesus was willing to shed His blood once for sin so that the sin problem would have a permanent solution (Heb. 10:12). Notice just how important the blood of Christ is to our salvation.

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper He said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:28). When Jesus was on the cross “…one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (Jn. 19:34). It was at this point in time a fountain was opened for cleansing of sin (Zech. 13:1). Without the shedding of Jesus’ blood, we would not have forgiveness (Rom. 6:1-4; Acts 2:38).

The Apostle Paul said, “In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). Paul later wrote that we are brought near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:13). The word “redeem” literally means to “buy back.” Before Jesus shed His blood, we were enslaved to sin (Rom. 6:17-18). Jesus paid the ransom price to free us from sin. Paul said of Jesus’ sacrifice, “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal. 1:4). Only through the blood of Christ could we be bought back into a right relationship with God (Jn. 14:6).

Because of sin, the relationship between God and man had been severed (Isa. 59:1-2; Ezek. 18:4; Rom. 3:23). Yet, how wonderful it is to hear Paul tell the Colossian Christians that Jesus made “peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20). Through the blood of Christ, we can have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:6-8).

The Scriptures tell us that Jesus loves us and is willing to wash us from our sins in His own blood (Rev. 1:5). At what point do we contact the blood of Christ? When do we receive that washing of our sins in the blood of Jesus? We contact the blood of Christ in the watery grave of baptism (Rom. 6:1-4; Eph. 5:26; Heb. 10:22). Paul was told to “arise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Since it is the blood of Christ that cleanses our sins, then we must conclude that baptism is the point at which we reach the blood of Christ (Acts 2:38; Mk. 16:16). Furthermore because we can lose the benefit of Jesus’ cleansing blood as a child of God (Heb. 10:24-26), we must continue to walk in the light as Jesus is in the light, and we must continue to confess our sins as His children so that the blood of Jesus can keep on cleansing us from all sin (1 John 1:7-9). Thank God for the precious blood of Jesus that not only makes us pure, white, and whole in God’s sight but maintains our purity in His sight so that one day we can “see God” for eternity (Isa. 1:18; Mt. 26:28; 5:8).

Sin... - Joey Ferrell

The title says it all. Sin. That is what has been on my mind…well, not the actual sin itself, but the idea of sin. From the very time that man first sinned in the Garden of Eden, until today…and even into the future, sin lives on, and it is our worst enemy at work.

Sometimes, we tend to discount sin. We might overlook this or that because of societal changes, or because “everyone else is doing it,” and so on. Sin becomes more natural to us each and every day when we allow it to enter into our lives. Sin enslaves us, making us more adept to continuing in it day after day as a habit more than a vice.

Paul had plenty to write about sin. Let’s look at a few verses:

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

(Galatians 5:1)

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

(Romans 6:16–18)

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

(Ephesians 2:1–7)

We could probably continue with posting scriptures about sin and how it enslaves us; however, you probably get the idea. What bothers me about sin is much more than just the idea of a trespass. I cannot help but think about the consequences of sin, the pain that sin has caused many from the age of creation, the misery in even death that was caused as a result of one man’s sin (Romans 5:12-21). I also cannot help but think about how my own sin has caused heartache for even my own family, but more importantly…my God. I am sure you can say the same thing.

But…there is some good news!

Sin CAN be forgiven. Sin CAN be overcome. Sin CAN be healed from in part.

Romans 6:23 talks about the wages of sin being death…and certainly that idea rings heavy, but don’t lose sight. The back half of that verse tells us to have hope in the eternal ife in Jesus Christ with His gift!

What does that mean? That means that even the vilest of the vile, the meanest of the mean, the lyingist of the lying, and so on…can be washed from those sins in the soul-saving blood of Christ, our Lord.

Paul recounts his conversion in Acts 22. In this story, Paul is told that he must go to find a man that would tell him all that he would need to do. He finds him. That man tells him how to be saved, and then he asks a very important question:

“Why tarryiest thou? Arise and be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord, washing away your sins…”

Did you see that? Those sins were gone with the empty mop water bucket. History. Never to be held against Paul any longer. Friend, you can have that same cleansing in Christ Jesus! Maybe you believe you are saved, yet you have not done what is required based on the scriptures. In Acts 19, there were some who had been baptized that did not know why they were baptized, or were not baptized into the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. What happened? Well, we see Paul teaching them and they were baptized…correctly after learning the truth! Hallelujah for second opportunities!

Maybe you need to find out more about the free gift of life…maybe you have questioned your own salvation in recent times. We have answers. We want to help! May God bless you as you seek truth.

Where is Your Treasure? - Ben Bailey

Where is Your Treasure?

            "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;   but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.   For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21).  With these words our Lord teaches us the folly of material wealth and the splendor of heavenly riches.   There are many worldly temptations that the Devil throws before us each day: money, power, luxuries, etc,.  Jesus clearly teaches us that none of these are more important than our eternal soul.  Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and looses his own soul?  Or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul” (Mk. 8:36-37).  Nothing is more important than your soul!  Notice several reasons why we must not put our focus on earthly treasures.

            Worldly Treasures Decay.  No matter how big a home you build, it will one day rot and decay into debris.  No matter how much money you horde up, you will one day die and your money cannot go with you.  In reality, all that exists or ever will exist will one day be destroyed by fire (See 2 Peter 3:9-12).  Why would you want to put your focus on earthly things that will fade away and amount to nothing?

            Wordly Treasures Darken.  One of the major problems with a worldly focus is it blocks our view of what is really important.  Howard Hughes is a modern example of this.  Although he was a multi-millionaire, history reveals to us in his last days he was a sad recluse with no real self-worth.  Jesus teaches us not to let anything get in our way of going to Heaven when he says, “Seek first the kingdom of God…” (Matt. 6:33).  Are worldly treasures obstructing your view of what’s really important?

            Wordly Treasures Divide.  One thing is certain about worldly treasures and God; you can’t have the best of both.  Worldly treasures definitely divide your allegiance.  Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24).  The reason a person cannot have the best of both worlds is because Jesus will take nothing less than 100% of your devotion (Mark 12:30ff).  Are the treasures of this world dividing you from God?

            Please understand that we are not saying having nicer things is wrong.  That is not the point.  Rather, our focus, passion, and desire cannot be first and foremost on worldly treasures.  May God help each of us to focus on spiritual things first!