What a thrill it was to see the Iraqi people risk their lives to vote in their first ever free election last week! Under the most dire and threatening of circumstances, these people laid their lives on the line ( as literally some WERE killed) to take part in this privilege. But of how much more is it a privilege for Christians to be able to gather on the Lord's day and worship the Almighty God according to His pattern. We come together to edify one another and praise God in song, preaching, and giving. We commune with the Lord at the Lord's table. We have the freedom to do God's will as we see fit without fear or any threat of persecution by the government.
But what if all that would change in the next couple of years. There are already signs that the government may be stepping into the church's business via "civil rights" for practicing sinners. Who amongst us will stand against the god of this world when he has infected enough of our society to where they will attack the church as being "narrow minded" and "hateful". Soon it could be considered "hate speech" to preach out against homosexuals, adulterers, fornicators, drunks, or any sin that God calls us to stand against. It is already happening in Canada and Europe. Will you continue to serve Christ's church and meet with the saints if the "heat" gets turned up?
Heb 10:32, 34-35 32) But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 34) For you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.35) Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
NOTHING could stop the early Christians. What stops you today? What might stop you in the future? It is good to think on these things and prepare our minds to be steadfast in our convictions (Heb 10:23) no matter what the cost. Let us "set our minds on things above, not on things of this earth" (Col 3:2) and we will have taken the first major step in preparedness. Just as freedom here on earth is worth dying for, so salvation and the cause of Christ is even more!
02/06/04 - Mike Sullivan
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In today's society, and even more tragically, in the Lord's church, "truth" is sold without a second thought. Self satisfaction is easily obtained at the expense of truth by millions every day. The world engages in these transactions every minute without batting an eye. They sell their souls for pleasures and self seeking goals to the Devil's delight. Many of the sins of the day are grounded in selfishness such as abortion, cheating, divorce, fornication, gossiping, lying, stealing, and the list goes on. It's all about "me"! What is really disheartening though, is when this attitude rears it's ugly head among God's people. The world at least might have some excuse (though ignorance will not save them). God's people have absolutely NO excuse and will be held to a higher standard and stricter judgement (2Pet 2:21). God's word is truth (Jhn 17:17). There is no getting around that. It means what it says. We must obey it at EVERY expense to ourselves. SELL IT NOT! If it says that God created everything in six days, believe it - sell it not! Science changes it's theories more than an actor changes his outfits. God's word never changes (1Pet 1:23). If it says that their was a flood that covered the whole earth, believe it - sell it not! If it says Jesus is the Son of God, believe it - sell it not! If it says Jesus died for your sins, believe it - sell it not! If God's word says you must repent and be baptized for salvation, believe it - sell it not! If it says you must live faithfully day by day, believe it - sell it not! Take heed dear brethren, and do not take God's word lightly, for one day we must all give an account to God on how we responded to his word in this life (Jhn 12:48). A good thing to remember is that when you sell the truth, you sell your soul! Think about it.
2Cor 13:5a Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
01/30/05 - Mike Sullivan
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"Pastor" is a word used heavily in the Religious world today, albeit it is used unbiblically. In today's culture, it generally refers to one man (or even a woman) who "oversees", or takes care of, an entire congregation of a religious group. On top of that, they are usually the preacher for that congregation.
The word "Pastor" has it's origins in Latin and means "herdsman" or "shepherd". It is translated in the Bible from the Greek words "poimaino" - which relates to the overall act of shepherding, and "poimen" - which is to say "a shepherd".
The problem isn't so much with it's meaning, as with how it is applied in the religious world today. The Bible speaks of a plurality of "overseers", better known as "elders" or "bishops", who watch over each congregation (1Tim 1:5). Two or more men fill this role when they are qualified per 1Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Never do we find 1 person shepherding, or overseeing, an entire congregation by themselves in God's word. So, in the Lord's church, you could say the elders are spiritually sound, mature men (presbuteros), who are to oversee (episkopos) the affairs of the local church, with a care for the spiritual feeding (poimaino) of the congregation. Look with me at 1Peter 5:1-3 =
1) The elders (presbuteros) who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of
the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2) Shepherd
(poimaino) the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers (episkopeo), not by
compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3) Nor as being lords over those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; (See also Acts 20:17,27-29)
The office of the Eldership does not necessarily make one an Evangelist (preacher), as well as being an Evangelist does not qualify one for the Eldership. A qualified person CAN be both but it would seem that was not usually the case in the first century AD (however, note Peter's remark in verse 1above).
So today's "Pastor" who is the preacher, and the overseer, of an entire congregation has no Biblical basis for existing. Add to that how most "Pastors" today do not even meet the qualifications of 1Tim 3:1-7, or Titus 1:5-9, and we see a mockery being made of God's word and it's authority!
Jan 2005 - Mike Sullivan
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It is with paradoxical humor that I hear or read things from those of the denominational persuasion. It is sad to see the success that Satan has had in blinding people to God's word. First let me state that I do not doubt any one's sincerity, however, anyone can be sincerely wrong (Prov 14:12, Jer 10:23)!
One "Reverend" (see Mth 23: 5 -12) I have read about, says God called him to be a minister in the Presbyterian Church. If I look to God's word to judge this statement, I can easily judge it to be false (Yes, we are to judge: Jhn 7:24, 2Thes 3:14). First I know that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Next I see that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rms 10:17). The word of God says nothing about a Presbyterian Church. It does, however, have a lot to say about being sectarian and dividing the Lord's church such as the Presbyterians do along with every other denomination. God's word condemns such practices in 1 Cor 1:10. We are to teach and practice the same truth in every congregation of the Lord's church (1 Cor 1:10 and 1 Cor 4:15-17). Note also how we are "called" by the gospel in 1 Cor 1:10 and 1 Thes 2:14. So either God called this man into a religion that contradicts His own word (which is impossible), or he has received a calling from someone else (you guess who).
I would use the same line of discernment with anyone in a denomination who says they stick to the Bible, but yet contradict God's word by being a part of a denomination that exists without biblical authority, and, teaches doctrine outside the word of God (2Jhn9).
The root of the problem dear people is not in what these denominations are endorsing or promoting, it is with the whole concept of denominationalism (see also Jhn 17:20-21)!
It would behoove people in all denominations to separate themselves (2Cor 6:11-18), and get into an autonomous local congregation of the Lord's church (Mth 16:18, Eph 4:4-6). They can know it is the Lord's church because their teaching and practices are in line with what the word of God teaches (2Tim 1:3-11). That is where true disciples of the Lord will be found. -------- Mike Sullivan 08/15/2004
"Where did Cain get his wife (Gen 4:17)?" is the question of many today. This answer is not that difficult to find if we will just do a little "diggin' in the scriptures".
Note how Gen 3:20 tells us that Eve was mother of all the living. Gen 1:28 records that one of the first commands given to Adam and Eve was to be fruitful and multiply (have children). Surely Adam and Eve did have many children.
Take note also that genealogies in the Bible often focus on lineages relevant to pertinent characters to God's message, and, most importantly to the lineage of the coming Messiah. As a relevant example, the main genealogical focus of the first few chapters of Genesis have not so much to do with Cain as they do with Seth (Gen 4:25- 5:32). Seth gives rise to a godly (spiritually minded) race (Gen 4:26) and eventually to Noah himself (Gen 5:30-32) who's line eventually produces the Messiah. Cain however propagates a race of ungodly, selfish, physically minded people (Gen 4: 17, 23). We see the contrast in Gen 6:1-8 where the term "sons of God" no doubt refer to Seth's descendants, and the "daughters of men" refer to Cain's descendants. The mixing of these two in marriage produced a destructive, tyrannical people ("giants" in Gen 6:4) which eventually brought about God's watery judgement upon the world.
Now, with this in mind we can see that even though God's word mentions only three of Adam and Eve's children by name, they did have many sons and daughters (Gen 3:20, 5:4). From this large family Cain would have taken his wife. So, the answer is: Cain married one of his sisters! Now some of you are probably crying "Incest!", but God made no pronouncements against inter-family sexual relationships until the days of Moses in Leviticus 18:9 and Deut 27:22. You see, in the days of Cain, the human gene pool was not riddled with diseases and mutations. It was not until later in the descent of man that harm would come from incestuous relationships. That is why from the time of Moses to today, it is not only spiritually dangerous to commit incest, it is physically and mentally dangerous as well. The world would have never been populated unless brother could lie with sister at the beginning. God's plan always works! Keep on "diggin' in the scriptures" brothers and sisters! ----- Mike Sullivan 07/04/04
Through the years I have seen people who felt they weren't good enough to be baptized (immersed) for the forgiveness of their sins. They felt they had to "get things right" before they could even consider being baptized. This is somewhat of an understandable theological position albeit an erroneous one. Would you be surprised to learn that "goodness" has nothing to do with it, but "willingness" has everything to do with it? Let's look at a couple of biblical examples.
Remember Peter's dissertation in Acts chapter 2? He was addressing some of the very people who had been involved in crucifying Jesus (Acts 2:23, 36). He showed them that Jesus was the Messiah. When the people realized what they had done, they were pricked in their hearts and cried out "What shall we do?" Now, did Peter tell them to go and prove yourselves, or, make yourselves "good"? No! He said to repent (that is to be sorry for, and, make a commitment to turn away from your sins) and be baptized (that is to be fully immersed in water) for the forgiveness of your sins.
Another good example is Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-19) who was smack dab in the middle of persecuting the church when he had an encounter with the risen Christ. Paul's reaction was akin to the crowd in Acts 2, "What do you want me to do?". He was told to wait in Damascus for further instruction. There a man named Ananias met Saul and instructed him in the ways of the Lord. Saul was baptized and "the rest is history" so to speak! The point is that Paul considered himself the "chief of sinners" (1Tim 1:15) yet knew his only hope was obeying the Lord in baptism.
Before the point of immersion for the forgiveness of sins you are as filthy rags before the Lord God Almighty. NOTHING you can do can change that. You will NEVER be good enough for Him to accept you. It is only at the point of submitting (giving of your total self in obedience to His will), and trusting His plan for the dispensing of His grace that we can be made as white as snow before his eyes. Why tarriest thou? Repentance (Lk 13:5) and forgiveness (Mth 6:14-15) are two important components in maintaining our salvation. Any person unwilling to repent or forgive is a person out of step with God. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we have no right to walk away from one another (or a congregation) without addressing any issues that we have with one another. If I have a personal problem with you, and I do not confront you, I leave myself in sin, and I also contribute to your remaining in a sin that you may not even be aware of. How does this conform to my placing my brother's needs above my own (Phil 2:3-4)? Then, to make matters worse, I might talk to someone else about the matter and still not confront you - now it has become backbiting, factious, and gossip! Take heed to the words of Jesus in Mth 18:15 "Moreover if a brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother." and Lk 17:3 "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him." No one else can relieve you of this responsibility, not the Elders, not the Preacher, not a spouse or a parent. For the good of yourself, a brother or sister, and the body of Christ, approach any person that you are harboring ill will towards and make it right so that all parties can be right with God! And if it has been awhile since you read 1 Corinthians Chapter 13, now might be a good time. May the peace of Christ reign in all our hearts, and the unity of the Spirit bond us in everlasting love, that God may be glorified in all! In today's pluralistic society where "anything goes" when it comes to religion, Jehovah God calls us (2Thes 2:13-15) to a higher, and narrower, standard. The sad fact of the matter is that there will be far less souls in Heaven than in Hell (Lk 13:24, Mtt 7:13-14). This is not God's will (2Pet 3:9), but sadly, it is the choice most people make. God has always let His will be known for those who are willing to hear. His final revelation has come to us through His Son Jesus (Heb 1:1-2, Jhn 14:24). We will ALL be judged by God's word (Jhn 12:48, Rev 20:12). With this in mind, let us answer the question; How many "churches" are acceptable to God? According to His word, only one! This is an interesting part of a study I shared with my teenage class last Sunday morning. If we go to Strong's concordance and look up the words for "believeth, believe" in John 3:36, we find two totally different Greek words for the highlighted references below (the KJV reads almost identical): This article will approach humility from the direction of God saying one thing, and man doing another. This problem manifests itself in the many "churches" and the different ways to worship God. Part of being human is having opinions, and opinions are part of what shape who we are. I submit to you that most "churches" are founded on the opinions of men rather than the truth of God's word. Just because someone believes something, or has a strong opinion about it, does not make it true. Yet truth exists. The premise of "I am, therefore God is" is true. It is the only thing that makes sence. Something can not come from nothing, therefore there must be an eternal God (Col 1:16-17). Logic demands that a creator would be loving and caring. This being the case, this God would not leave his people "clueless" to his will (Mk 3:35). That is why we have the Bible (Jhn 17:17). Through the scriptures we learn that God worked through the Patriarchs, then the Jewish nation, and his final revelation through Jesus the Messiah and his apostles (Heb 1:1-2). This is our yardstick, our gauge of truth. This is where true humility comes in! As we learn and grow in God's word, we should be conforming to his will. If we are taught or indoctrinated one way, and read that God's way differs from what we believe, but then don't change, where does that leave us? Rebellious, hardhearted, and lost. Did you know that out of the 8 conversions in Acts (2:36-42, 8:4-12, 9:17-20, 10:1-48, etc,), all heard, 6 spoke of faith, 2 dealt with repentance, 2 with confession, and every single one included immersion (baptism)! Yet today millions claim baptism isn't neccessary for salvation! They continue in the traditions of men, worshipping thier own way, making their own creeds and rules. Why not start today doing things God's way? He's always right! Humble yourself before God Almighty, and be baptized for the forgivness of your sins today! Tomarrow (or even later today) may be to late! Some argue that you don't need to "go to church" to be right with God. For the sake of limited space to argue the difference, we will use "going to church" and "assemble" interchangeably. First we must assume one is actually saved to begin with. If they have heard the word, believed, confessed the Lord Jesus, and been immersed for the forgiveness of their sins, then according to God's word, they are saved. But now they must maintain that salvation by obedience (1Jhn 1:7, 2:4). This is where the going can get tough in a day to day, week to week, and year to year struggle. This is also the first reason we'll use in our argument for going to church. By meeting with the saints at every opportunity, we renew ourselves and strengthen our faith. We are edified (Rms 14:19, 1Th 5:11). Let's take a look at what the church actually is: Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. The church is each individual Christian collectively making up the body of Christ under his headship. If we do not come together then that body suffers. How important is the church?
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. It is precious, it is priceless. I would think twice before dismissing the Lord's church! For any who wear the name "Christian", there is no doubt where they'll be when there is "church". God commands it in Heb 10:24 - 27 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have recieved the knowledge of truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Do we need to assemble? Need we ask? As in most things, the way the world views love, and the way God veiws love, are two different things. The world ranges in beliefs from sex equating love, to a politically correct view of not making someone emotionally uncomfortable. God's love is complex as it is interwoven with justice, mercy, and grace. God's character demands holiness and justice (1Pet 1:15-16, 2Tim 4:8), yet He is patient and merciful (Rms 2:4, Lk 6:36). This is all beautifully illistrated in John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. All have sinned (Rms3:23). God's justice demanded a sacrifice for sin (Heb 9:22). God's love provided that sacrifice through the death of His own Son on the cross! Jesus' death and resurrection are the pinnacle of God's grace and love. However, the procurement of the benefits of this ultimate act of grace hinges on man's obedience (Heb 5:9). We must possess the faith that trusts in God's ways to save us (Col 2:12, Rms 6:17). Many in the religious world say you don't have to do anything to be saved, that "doing" equals "working" and we can't trust in works. They miss the point that there is a difference in works of the law (flesh) and works of obedience (faith). Their whole way of reasoning crumbles with the words of Jesus in John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent. Even belief is a work of obedience. Obedient faith doesn't lessen the value of God's grace, for just as a child grows to it's fullest potential in obedience to loving parents, so we reach our fullest potential in obedience to our loving heavenly Father.
Mike Sullivan 06/27/04
Some Things NOT To Be Left Undone!
Mike Sullivan 06/20/04
There can be only ONE.
Eph 4:4-6 reads There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
1 Cor 1:10 reads Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
From these two verses alone we see one body (the church) which is joined together in the same teachings! See also Mtt 16:18 (Jesus calls it "my church"), Jhn 17:20-21, and 1Cor 4:6, 16-17. There is NO room for any other "church" in the parameters laid out by God. It must be Christ's church, established 33AD, at the right place (Jerusalem), and organized per the pattern and examples we find in the New Testament. Ephesians 4:4-6, as shown above, means exactly what it says. God means exactly what He says. How long shall we halt between two opinions? Choose ye this day whom you will serve, God or man. As for the Susq. Valley church of Christ, we will serve the Lord!
Mike Sullivan 6/6/04
Does belief incorporate obedience?
Jhn 3:36 (NKJV): He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
As it reads here in the NKJV and the KJV, we can see that obedience is not something you necessarily would glean from the text. But if we "do a little diggin" in the Greek text, we find the following:
believes = Strong's # 4100 Pisteuo: "to have faith", "trust"
not believe = Strong's # 544 Apeitheo: "disobedient", "obey not"
When we go to the Greek it is much easier to see that Jesus equated belief with obedience. The American Standard translators got it right when they translated Jhn 3:36 thus:
Jhn 3:36 (ASV): He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
In this case we see another reason for looking at a couple different versions in our study of certain texts, and, using a good concordance in our studies.
Biblical belief includes obedience to God's word (see Rms 6:7, 2Thes 1:8, 3:14, Heb 5:9, all of Heb chapter 11). Keep on "diggin' in the scriptures" and grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Mike Sullivan 05/04
Mike Sullivan 01/31/1997
Mike Sullivan 01/01/1997
Mike Sullivan (date unknown)