The modern approach to whether or not the assembly should be highly esteemed would begin on preference. And when something doesn’t fit that preference, suddenly the concept of the local assembly fails to have any potential of being a dignified concept in that person’s mind. However, if we realize that it is God’s assembly we are considering, and that He […]
» Read more“We have our Bibles, our reading plans, our coffee hours, our TV broadcasts, our books, our audio, our Christian music – what more could a local church offer us that we don’t have already? Yes I have Christian friends who go to church, but that certainly can’t mean they are better than I am!” Obligations We Cannot Fulfil Without the Assembly […]
» Read moreAs we begin to study the main concepts of our place relative to the assembly, it is first of all important to start with Biblical definitions. The Watchtower cult calls itself “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” when in reality the organization is neither Jehovah’s or made up of true witnesses: it has the term, but not the real definition. In the Charismatic movement […]
» Read moreComing to from understanding (1) that assembly truth exists and (2) that it is extremely important to understand, we now need to ask ourselves: on what basis must we study assembly doctrine in Scripture? The reason so many denominational differences exist today is because many have built their local church doctrine on the wrong foundation. This is where presuppositions come […]
» Read moreThough it may be obvious that truth itself exists – even assembly truth – one might still ask “Is it that important to uphold? Is it a big deal if we don’t get it right?” Or an even more sensitive question might arise: “Do I have the right to judge the practices of certain denominations just because their pattern is […]
» Read moreRelativism is the assertion that truth is relative and not absolute or objective: at one point in history this was actually frowned upon by local churches in North America and Europe. One easily saw its folly by seeing the simple logic trap of asserting absolutely that absolute truth did not exist, thus being a contradiction in and of itself. Since […]
» Read more“Meekness, temperance – against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:23-26 The subject of the Christian’s rule of life […]
» Read moreTemperance, being the last spiritual fruit (at least, in Galatians 5), acts as a very good conclusion to the list, because it really tells us what is required of a believer to grow spiritually in all the other aspects we have looked at. One cannot resist the lusts of the flesh if he cannot control his body, the channel through […]
» Read moreThe 1828 edition of Webster’s Dictionary defines meekness as “Softness of temper; mildness; gentleness; forbearance under injuries and provocations.” Interestingly Mr. Webster adds “Meekness is a grace which Jesus alone inculcated, and which no ancient philosopher seems to have understood or recommended.” (Imagine seeing a dictionary which says that today!). The main thought behind meekness is the foundation character of […]
» Read more
The concept of faith is quite extensively dealt with in Scripture with various examples, exhortations, and elaborations centering around a fuller understanding of its place in our lives. A book could easily be written on the subject, and indeed many have been. For our purposes, however, we will have to be limited to a basic, yet comprehensive overview of the […]
» Read more