THE LOCAL CHURCH
There is just one church: the church of God made up of all of the people of God (Acts 20:28, I Cor. 1:2). So when people ask, “Where do you go to church?” they are referring to the local church. I love the local church! It is the place the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace is preached. It is the place where God’s saints meet together with unified hearts to worship our God and Savior. It is the place where believers meet together to fellowship around the gospel and to encourage one another. I love those times spent together with the children of God in the house of God!
Don’t be mistaken into thinking you can find a perfect local church. One doesn’t exist. All of the local churches in the New Testament had their own problems. No member is perfect and we should forgive the faults of our brethren (He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother should be our attitude). There are also tares among the wheat. But that won’t stop me from seeking out the place where God’s saints meet to preach the gospel and worship the Lord. This is the only place our Savior promised to meet with His people and bless them with His presence. (Matt 18:20)
Pastor
In happy moments, praise God. In difficult moments, seek God. In quiet moments, worship God. In every moment, thank God.
Pastor Marvin Stalnaker
ELECTION OR ATHEISM – NO MIDDLE GROUND
Romans 9:16-18
If you receive the Bible as the Word of God, you have no choice; you must believe the doctrine of election. If you believe the Bible, you have to take it all as the Word of God. You cannot say, “I believe what the Bible teaches about heaven; but I just cannot accept the idea of hell.” You cannot say, “I believe in God; but I simply cannot believe in election.” Election is so much a part of Divine Truth, that it cannot be expunged from the Book Of God without completely destroying the Word of God. It is taught in Genesis, in Revelation, and everywhere between. To deny the doctrine of election is to deny the Word of God, reject the religion of Jesus Christ, and to engage in the practice of utter atheism; for the denial of election is the denial of the God of election!
Yes, you read that right. I said the denial of election is a denial of God! It is a denial of His sovereignty. It denies that God has the right to do with His own what He will. Those who deny election deny God’s government of the world and His right to govern.
Pastor Don Fortner
Everyone Can’t Be Right
Some think that it does not matter what a man believes so long as he is sincere. The average person thinks that all religions are right. “You go to your church and I’ll go to mine, you believe what you think is right and I’ll believe what I think is right, and we’ll meet in heaven someday and rejoice in our respective saviors.”
No! My friends, we cannot all be right when we contradict one another so. It is imperative that we search the Scriptures and see what God says. A doctrine is not true because I believe it or because you believe it, but it is true only if God says it!
I do not ask whether you believe what I preach; perhaps you do not. But I ask you to search the Scriptures and determine whether these things be so. I am not afraid to submit my belief in God’s immutable sovereignty, man’s total fall and ruin, God’s elective grace, Christ’s effectual atonement, the Spirit’s invincible call, and the perseverance of the sheep to THE WORD OF GOD!
Pastor Henry Mahan