A denomination is an organized group of congregations under headquarters which governs each church and divides the area into dioceses, parishes, etc. But according to the Bible there is no such thing as a denomination (2 John 9-11; Matthew 15:13-14; Galatians 1:6-9; Matt. 7:15-29; Mark 7:6-9; 2 Peter 2:1-3).
Jesus built His church, and it was established on the first Pentecost after his resurrection (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:1, 2:40-47). This church is called the body of Christ, with Jesus as its head (Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:19-22, 4:4, 5:23; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 16:16). Denominational churches don’t follow this example, but set up cities to serve as headquarters, and men to serve as head of the church. The Bible also teaches that each church is autonomous under the oversight of it’s bishops, who are Pastors or Elders (Acts 20:28. 1 Peter 5:1-4; 1 Timothy 3). There are some in Philadelphia who have killed people and didn’t get caught. These criminals watch TV coverage of grieving relatives crying for justice, but they will never turn themselves in to the authorities.
The Bible teaches that men will reap what they sow, and the Bible doesn’t call it “karma,” instead God said it is reaping ones due reward (Galatians 6:7; Proverbs 11:5, 26:27). Now, with that being said, I will comment on this fact. Read the newspaper every week, and there will be stories about men getting gunned down in the streets at every hour of the day and night. I wonder if any of those men were criminals getting a dose of the medicine they have dished out on others? Remember, the Bible said, “he that sows to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption” (Galatians 6:8). You read about a guy shot dead in a car, well, he quite possibly could be the one who killed the little old lady who was going to the bank to deposit her monthly check. Never forget, we reap what we sow. Water is important in a man’s life. God created water first, then He created man out of dust. Without water, dust wouldn’t stick. There is power in the water.
There’s water in a car. There’s power in that water. If you don’t believe it, try going home without it in the radiator, and you’ve got a burnt up car. Now, try to get a man to go to Heaven without water, and you’ve got burnt up man. Try going to Heaven without water, and you’ve got a burnt up church. Some say you’re saved before baptism. Christ said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Now, you can’t say you’re saved before baptism; you’re calling God a liar. You can’t go to Heaven calling God a liar. You can call me a liar, but not Him. Some say, “A man is not saved and then baptized.” A woman doesn’t wash clothes because they are already clean. I’ve seen a lot of smart women, but not that smart. She washes clothes because they are dirty. Man is baptized because he’s dirty and needs to be cleansed. The gospel is made up of five "pills" that will cure anything: first pill–hear; second pill–believe; third pill–repent; fourth pill–confess; fifth pill–baptism. Take ’em with water, and they’ll cure sin. Would you like to get away from useless people? If so, consider these Bible verses.
Get control of your life by dumping dead beats and your next step should be going toward the Lord. If you want to get your life right, and if you are willing to let the word of God guide you, we want to hear from you. Make the effort to salvage your life and soul (Acts 2:40). Hope to hear from you or see you at the services. We have heard it many times before, a house burns down and people suffer injury or death. But then we hear a fireman saying “there were no working smoke detectors in the house.”
Those words cause us to lament the lost of life or health, because no one took the time to do what was needed in order to protect themselves. Well, let me use that example in another way. The Bible, which is the word of God, is our smoke detector. Do you have one? And as for batteries, are you doing what His word commands you? You see, it is one thing to have a Bible in your house, but a totally different thing to be doing what it teaches (Luke 6:46; John 15:14, 8:31-32). If we can be of help to you in learning God’s will for your life, let us help you with a Bible study (Acts 8:26-40, 16:11-15, 17:11). |