Christ’s Church: Love Her or Leave Her

By John Waddey

The expression "love her or leave her" is a common theme of romantic songs, but the words also are appli­cable for some disgruntled members of the Lord's church. It has always been the case that some within the church become un­happy with some or all aspects of her faith, worship or practices. In Paul's day, an ele­ment of Jewish converts were unhappy with the idea of Gentiles having full and equal standing in the church. There were certain Gentiles who loved Grecian philosophy and thought they should graft that onto the faith of the church (Col. 2:8-9). In Thyatira, a woman whom Christ called Jezebel, felt the moral standards of the church were too rigid for her members so she taught the brethren they could commit fornication, etc. (Rev. 2:18-20). Then there was Demas. When he became unhappy with the church he turned his back on her and walked away (II Tim. 4:10). It is true that Demas aposta­tized and forfeited his salvation by so doing, but he was more honorable than the others mentioned. He made a clean break. He did not attempt to change the church or draw away disciples after him.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Now, as in ancient times, there are disciples whose love for Christ and his church has grown cold (Matt 24:12). They no longer accept her sacred standards. They are embar­rassed to be identified with those who cling to the ancient ways. They scoff at those who call on them to repent and turn back to the Savior's prescribed ways. Those with any integrity remaining will leave the church and pursue the desire of their hearts. Others will remain to trouble the church by trying to change her faith, worship and practice to suit them. Like a fifth column of saboteurs that labor to capture or destroy that which they no longer love and appreci­ate, they do their destructive work. When the faith is rewritten, the worship changed and the structure of the church revised what remains is no longer a Church of Christ. It is a worthless denomination, the production of sinful men.

When the Hebrews turned their backs on the ways of Jehovah they experienced the heavy hand of God's justice. In a vision, Ezekiel saw in the Shekinah, the glory of the Lord, departing from the temple (Ezek.9:3), leaving them to face the wrath of judgment alone. Today, God's Holy Spirit inhabits his church (Eph. 2:20-22). It is vain to think that God's Spirit will remain among a people who are corrupting his church. Remember Jesus warned the church in Ephesus that if they did not repent, he would come and re­move their candlestick (Rev. 2:4-5).

May every one who is a member of Christ's church love her or else leave her. To do otherwise is to multiply one’s sin and in­crease one’s judgment! & (Via the internet)

Masking Symptoms or Curing the Disease?

By J. D. Williams

Recently I experienced an affliction common to all, the common cold! I took all the usual stuff and waited for it to just go away. As I took the different kinds of medicines for various symptoms, I noticed some of the labels. This one stops watery, itchy eyes, this one stops coughing and sneezing, Others reduced fever, sore throats, or a stuffy nose. As I read these labels, I wondered, if all of my symptoms are cured, why do I still have a cold? You would think if no symptoms exist, neither would the condition.

Of course I think we all understand that these medications only mask the symptoms, and do not cure them. And while you may feel pretty good and go about your busi­ness, you still have a cold, and only time will cure it.

As I thought about this, I kept thinking, there must be a lesson it this somewhere. Here is what I think it is.

Taking cold medicines is like practicing de­nominationalism. It doesn't really cure what ails you, spiritually, it only masks the symp­toms. As stated above, if you take enough medication, you will probably feel great and go about your business as usual. But you are still not cured. And denominationalism will not cure you of that deadly disease called sin! Satan's medicine will only trick you into thinking you are healthy. Most cold products will stop short of promising to ac­tually cure you, but they promise the next best thing. That may be great for the cold virus but the next best thing is no good when your soul's salvation is involved, be­cause there is no next best thing! You need the real cure that only God's word can pro­vide. No amount of denominational medicine Satan prescribes will cure you. Only obedi­ence to God's word will. & (Via Bible Mat­ters)

The True Holy of Holies

By Bob Myhan

The epistle to the Hebrews was writ­ten to convince Jewish Chris­tians that the blessings and prom­ises of the New Testament are su­perior in every way to those of the Old. Among other things, the author points out that Jesus is

a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man (8:1-2).

Like its Old Testament counterpart, “the true tabernacle” has two compartments—the Holy Place where all the priests could go in their official capacity, and the Most Holy Place, or Holy of Holies, into which

the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins commit­ted in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing (9:7-8).

The first is the church, where saints,

as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiri­tual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-5).

The second is heaven itself.

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another--He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 9:24-26).

One day all the faithful will be allowed into the true Holy of Holies, for Jesus has gone into it as our forerunner.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Mel­chizedek. (Heb. 6:19-20).

There is a sense, of course, in which the body of the Christian is a temple. But it is only in the sense that we need not go to a par­ticular location to worship God accepta­bly.  While the church may provide adequate facilities for collective worship, and certain acts must be engaged in collectively, we may pray to God and study His word individually anywhere we may chance to be. &

Search with an Open Mind

By James Cudd

The teachings of Jesus are not always popular with men. One reason for this is that many people have developed preconceived ideas about the will of God. That is, they make up their minds as to what the will of God is before they ever examine the Bible itself to find out what God has actually taught. They fail to study with an open mind. Many are convinced that what they believe is "gospel truth" and "nothing is going to change my mind!" How tragic and sad to reject divine truth because of one's unwillingness to OPEN THEIR MIND to the possibility that they might be wrong. Are they afraid that the evidence may demand that they change their convictions about the matter?

The Bible says, "But test everything; hold fast what is good," (1 Thess. 5:21). The Scriptures warn that prophets will prophesy falsehood in God’s name (Jer. 14:14). Also, people “will not endure sound teaching...and will turn away from listening to the truth” (2 Tim. 4:1-4). Sad result of a closed mind.

To be saved from sin, one must love, seek, learn, and obey the truth. "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (Jn. 8:32). Have an open mind toward the truth. Don't trust your salvation to preconceived notions. Believing and obeying a lie will not save you (2 Thess. 2:10-12). The one true gospel must be obeyed (2 Thess. 1:7-9; Gal. 1:6-9). Search the Scriptures with an open mind (Acts 17:11). Then believe and obey. & (Via Bulletin Digest)