"Your Testimony?"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 32 – “Your Testimony?”

            In the writings of the Apostle Paul, he is constantly instructing the believer how he should appear in the eyes of the unbeliever.  When instructing the Thessalonians about the rapture of the church, he said they should be alert and sober and not asleep. (1Thes. 5:6-8)  I feel Paul was saying that when the Lord comes for us we must be found busy in the Lord’s work.  The sole purpose of the continued earthly existence of the person who believes in Jesus Christ is to be winning souls for Christ.  We are to be a living testimony of Him.  Paul states; “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you appear as lights in the world.” (Phil. 2:13-15)  Paul is very simply saying that it is God who is working within us in order that we may be an effective witness to the world.  We must appear as good in an evil society.  If we allow God to have His way in our lives, that will be accomplished.  If we do not choose to allow Him to have control, the world will not recognize us as children of God.

            In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth, if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again?  It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on a lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:13, 16)

            If you believe in Jesus Christ, you are a light.  Is your light covered or does it appear to those you come in contact with?  Let us not become as salt which has lost its taste.  We cannot change what we have been, but we can change what we are.  Let your lifestyle be a reflection of Christ so those in the dark may be drawn to light.

            You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"The Churches Outreach"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 31 – “The Churches Outreach”

            It is impossible to discuss the role of the church without focusing on outreach.  The church must be involved outside of the body.  We, as brothers and sisters in Christ, must not only love one another, but all men.  “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.  If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.” (Luke 6:31, 32)  The church, like the individual, can be self-centered.  If the church is concerned primarily with its own existence, welfare, and programs, it cannot be effective as God intended.  God has chosen the church to reach out to the lost, and to have love and compassion for all who are in need, to show His attributes to the lost world.  The church is to exalt God in everything that it does.  “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even the sinners do the same.” (Luke 6:33)  The Bible teaches we are to have love for our neighbor, love for our brethren, love for our enemy, and love for all men.  If we as individuals or the church as a whole are self-centered this cannot be possible.

            We must not lose sight of the fact that the individual and the church are inseparable.  What is commanded by God to the individual Christian is also a command to the church.  Corporately, the church can be more influential in the world than a few individual evangelists.

            The aim of the church should be to train Christians who will, in their daily life-style, commend Christianity to the outsider by their behavior.  As a tree is known by its fruits, the church is known by the kind of people of the church.

            The church does not only work on Sunday.  Sunday is a day of worship and rest in preparation for the rest of the week.  The work of the church begins on Monday and continues until church takes up again on the following Sunday.  The work of the church takes place outside of the physical church building.  We hear a sermon on Sunday morning, but we are a sermon the rest of the week in the way we conduct our lives.  What kind of message do you share with all those you come in contact with?

            Several years ago, my duties at work included purchasing millions of dollars in materials to build our product.  There were dozens of salesmen calling on me to buy their goods.  I always conveyed to them that they must first show me a reason or an advantage as to why I should make a change to their brand or product.  The unbeliever is no different; we must through our changed life-style, show them why they should change, a change to believing that Jesus Christ is the only answer to life.

            You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"The Church Is One Body"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #30 – “The Church is One Body”

            The Church is a community of believers drawn together by God.  It should be a place of warmth where each brother and sister in Christ can share their joys and sorrows, share their abundance and have their needs met.  It should be a time and place where the gifts that God has given each believer can be used to strengthen the body.

            There should be no boundaries between believers or churches, there should not be doctrinal differences drawing us apart.  The doctrines of the Bible should be drawing us together, instead.  “There is one body, and one Spirit, just as also you 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.” (Eph. 4:4-6)

               The differences between church bodies today, are man-made.  Man causes confusion by not allowing God to reveal the truth to him.  The Holy Spirit, if we will allow ourselves to be open to Him, is the One who reveals the truths of God’s word.  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26)  If we all, as brothers and sisters in Christ, allow this to happen our differences will soon disappear and we will truly be as one family.

            Imagine for a moment if you will, the difficulty a new family entering a community with eight different church bodies.  What a burden this would be for them to find the right church.  They would have to spend a great deal of time checking for doctrinal differences, how each conducts the worship service, opportunities for spiritual growth, which one could most nearly meet their family needs, and give them an opportunity to serve the Lord.  What a shame that we all think we have to be different.  What kind of a testimony are we?

            God has chosen the church to evangelize the world.  The first century church was one body, a community of evangelists.  To the church in Thessalonica, Paul wrote; “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.” (1 Thess. 1:8)  Paul is saying that there was no need for him to evangelize in some places, because the Thessalonian church’s testimony has already done the job.  What a powerful witness that church must have been to all who came in contact with them. 

            May God help us to become what He intended, so we may be effective for Him.

            You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

           

           

           

"Churches Today"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #29 –“Churches Today”

            Why can’t the church of today be as the first century church?  Because we do not follow the example laid out for us.  We do not continually devote ourselves to; study, prayer, fellowship, and the breaking of bread together.  Instead, the churches of today, in most quarters, find the leadership figuring how to entertain and fill the pews and the collection plates.  While the leadership is doing that, those attending church are coming to be entertained, glad someone else is doing it so they do not have to be involved, with little concern about the accuracy of what is being taught.

            Those attending church need to be as the Apostle Paul found the people in Berea, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)  We, in our churches today also must be studying our Bibles daily in order to test what we are being taught from our pulpits.  You do not have to have a degree from a seminary to understand the Bible.  God did not inspire His word for the highly intellectuals only.  His word is written so that anyone can pick it up and allow the Holy Spirit to teach him from it.  We must study and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s truth to us as we read and pray.  Prayer brings us into a closer fellowship with the Lord so we are more open to His truths.  If we just listen to the teaching of others and take for granted they are right, we can easily be led astray.  The apostle Paul was continually confronted with the problem of false teachers.  Many of his epistles were written to ward off false teachings threatening the foundation of the church. These false teachers were teaching against such things as; the deity of Jesus, against the resurrection, against the virgin birth, against the humanity of Jesus.  All of these false teachings were attempts to undermine the church’s foundation, Jesus Christ.  If we are not continually in prayer, study and fellowship; we cannot ward off such false doctrines.  “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” (Eph. 4:14)

            Another reason we are not like the first century church is because we do not have oneness of mind, or like-minded and sincerity of heart.  That is because we do not all properly interpret the bible.  Can you imagine what the church would look like if we all diligently studied our Bible with the purpose of understanding God’s whole truth and not compromising God’s truth to justify society’s actions?  “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Cor. 1:10)  Oneness of mind comes from using the word of God as He intended it to be used.  God is not an author of confusion, but we have caused confusion by abusing His word.  The Bible is often interpreted to serve our own needs, egos, or our own selfish interests. 

            You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Growing the Church"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 28 -- "Growing the Church"

The church today, needs to follow the example of the first century church.  Besides the four characteristics pointed out last week, there were even more.  “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.  Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44-47)

            Notice what that first century church had; togetherness, sharing with others, like-minded, eating together, praising God together, and having favor with all the people.  The Lord was, also, “adding to their numbers day by day those who were being saved.”  Does that look like the church today?  In our small community of 2000 population, we have eight churches all having some significantly differences in doctrinal beliefs.  Does that sound like the picture of the church just written about in Acts 2?  Look at the church around your neighborhood.   Are they demonstrating one-minded, single-minded, of the same mind; having all things in common?  Why is that, we all have the same inspired word of God?

            They were no different than us.  The church could and should be that way today.  We have the same bonding agent as they, which is Christ.  The church was brought together as brothers and sisters, as children of God.  They were living, loving, and sharing as family.  This does not suggest communal living, as it speaks of them gathering from house to house.  They were simply going from place to place sharing a common bond between them.

            We must remember that these people were in constant danger as they were under heavy persecution from the unbelieving Jews.  The persecution of the church was so severe after the death of Stephen (Acts 7), that many of them fled from Jerusalem.  That was not the case of God splitting up the church.  It was Satan who was causing the persecution.  Instead, it was God using the scattering of the church to spread the gospel message of Jesus Christ to other parts of the world.  “Therefore, those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” (Acts 8:4)

            Why can’t the church today be as it was then; single-minded, together, sharing with others, praising God together?  The church should be more powerful today with all of the technology available.  According to polling, the church is not growing day by day, rather it is in decline.  Why?  Probably because we are allowing some big named preacher on television, radio, or even from our churches pulpit tell us how it is rather than getting into the inspired word of God, the Bible, and discovering for ourselves who God really is and what He has done for us and how we are to respond to Him.  If everyone read from the same script, we would all belong to the same church, the one where Christ is the head and we the body.

            You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Necessities for a Healthy Church"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 27 – “Necessities for a Healthy Church”

            What were some of the characteristics of the first church?  “And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)   There are four points brought out in this verse; the first is that of continual devotion to the apostles teaching.  Notice that it was not done in passing or occasionally, but continually.  The church today could probably be described as seldom studying the apostles’ teachings.  The church, in order to be effective for God, must study the Bible with regularity in order to be prepared to carry out His will.

            The second point is that they were continually devoted to fellowship.  It is essential for us to have close fellowship with other believers.  The Bible teaches us to share our love, our joys, our burdens, and to encourage one another.  “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24, 25)  In order for us to grow spiritually, and to sustain our walk with the Lord, we must have a close fellowship with other Christians.

            The third point shows, they continually were breaking bread together in celebration of the Lord’s Supper.  This communion celebration was a constant practice for them in memory of the sacrifice of our Lord.  They celebrated this, not in the temple, but from house to house as this was strictly a celebration for believers only.

            They were also, continually devoted to prayer.  Prayer is of the utmost importance in the life of the individual and to the church as a whole.  It is an integral part of the spirituality of a believer.  It is through prayer that we can have God’s peace in all circumstances that confront us.  The Scripture refers continually to the apostles’ praying for others and requesting prayers for themselves in carrying on God’s work.  We have a direct hot-line to heaven and we must use it on a regular basis, remembering that there is nothing too great for the power of God and nothing too small for His fatherly care.  The apostle Paul states “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

            There are other features of the early church which will be discussed later.  The qualities illustrated here are examples which the church today should be continually devoted to following.  The four examples again are: study, fellowship, communion, and prayer.  If the church is not practicing these essentials on a regular basis it will not function properly, it will not die, but could become very ill.  As John described the Lord as saying of the church of Laodicea; “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev.3:16)

            You too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

           

"The Church"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 26 – “The Church”

            What is the church?  There are many different ways people define the church.  Most probably see the church as a big beautiful building with a steeple, bell tower, high walls, and stained glass windows.  Others perceive it as a building where you go to be married or buried.  In this small city, with a population of 2000, we have eight such buildings.

            However, biblically, the church is not a place, but people.  The church is the body of Christ, those who believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  Christ is the head of the church and all believers are individually members of it.  (Eph. 5:23; 1 Cor. 12:27)              The church had its beginning at Pentecost, 50 days following the resurrection of Jesus.  At that time the Holy Spirit came to indwell each believer and to baptize each believer into the church.  Daily there were new ones being added to the body of Christ. (Acts 2:47)

            The Apostle Paul writes to the believers at Corinth about the body of Christ.  “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.  For the body is not one member, but many.” (I Corinthians 12:12-14)  I would interpret Paul as saying, it does not matter whether you are Catholic, protestant, connectional church or independent, we all collectively belong to one body.  That is the body of Christ, which is the Church.  “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you 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.” (Eph. 4:4-6)  If you are a believer in Jesus Christ then you are a part of that one body.  Each person of that body is a brother or sister in Christ to each other member of that body.  Conversely, if you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you are not a part of the Church no matter what church you belong to or attend.

            Paul continues on about the members of the body.  He states that it does not matter how much or how little honor it seems and individual has.  Each member is essential to the proper functioning of the whole body.  “If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?  If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?” (1 Cor. 12:17)  We are all important to the body for proper functioning to occur.  If one part of the body does not function properly, the whole body cannot function properly.  “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Cor. 12:26)  Therefore, if you believe in Jesus Christ, you are an important part of the body of Christ and you are valuable to the proper functioning of that body.

            You too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Your Testimony"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #25 – “Your Testimony”

          I am sure that many have asked why a person rejects Jesus Christ.  We, who are now believers, may have forgotten all the reasons why we refused to believe before we finally did.  During the earthly ministry of Jesus, the Jewish leaders rejected Him because He was a threat to their political, economic, and social status.  The rest of the Jewish population was looking for a political savior.  They were under Roman rule and wanted political freedom.  They were not concerned with life in the future, the eternal condition of their soul; they were worried about the day to day struggles.

          Have the reasons really changed that much?  I do not believe they have.  In looking back, I can remember a pastor calling on me and asking me to start coming to church.  I told him that I felt that church goers were hypocrites, going to church on Sunday and living like heathens the rest of the week.  He told me that there is always room for one more.  Some feel they must keep up a certain image or a certain status within a community, a club, certain social groups, or at work.  There are others who are too busy trying to provide for today to think about the future.  Then, there are those who know the way, who simply refuse to believe because of stubborn pride.  What a problem pride is for everyone, including believers.  "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6b)  "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." (Matt. 23:12)

          Sadly I say, I think the biggest reason the outsider rejects Christ is the believers.  We are not a good testimony for Him.  We are pious, and know we have something that all should have, and yet we do not share Him.  We, the church, should set examples in our daily living that would attract outsiders.  We should show, in our lifestyle, something that all the world want to share and make a part of their life as well.  We should always be concerned with what we can do to turn others on to Christ.  Our testimony should be one that attracts rather than repel.  "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.  Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person." (Col. 4:5, 6)

          Our witness to the world is not only on an individual basis, but also as a group, the church as the body of Christ.  (As illustrated in Acts 2: 42-47)  Christianity is living with the Holy Spirit dwelling within each believer.  It is also a way of life that should be a living testimony to the world.  "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:10)

          You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Faith"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #24 – “Faith”

Why is it so difficult to live a full and complete spiritual life?  Why is it so much of a struggle?  I believe it is because our faith is not strong enough.  We do not allow God to have control in our lives.  We do not have the confidence that He will help us in our day to day living.  Jesus told us not to be anxious about anything, that our heavenly Father will provide all of our needs. (Matt. 6:25-34)  He knows before we do what our needs are.  It is a weak faith that causes us to worry.  We do not spend enough time studying His word so our faith can be adequately strengthened.  Where does our faith come from?  “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17) 

We are not the only ones, and certainly not the first, to struggle with insufficient faith.  We need only to look at some of the past Biblical heroes.  Look at Abraham and how he made mistakes because of his lack of faith.  He and Sarah couldn’t wait for God to provide the promised son.  Look at Elijah and how he ran from Jezebel after God had helped him destroy all of those prophets of Baal. Many of our strongest Bible characters had issues like ours with insufficient faith to live our daily live fruitfully.  But, you can read Hebrews chapter 13 to see how they came to trust God with a fervent faith.

            What does the word say about the gospel?  “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” (Rom. 1:17)  This means to me, that it is through faith in Jesus Christ by which we are saved, and it is by a continuing and growing faith that we must live.  We must remain in His word to grow into maturity in our spiritual lives.  It is only by listening to Him through His written word that we can grow strong enough in our faith to live a life with total trust in Him.  When we have the trust that He will sustain us in all circumstances, then we can quit worrying about tomorrow and concentrate on serving Him and others, today.  Much of our valuable time is spent in worrying about tomorrow.  When we find ourselves worrying about the future, we should review the passage found in Matthew 6:25-34. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:34)   

We must come to realize what a fantastically great and living God we have.  He loved us enough to sacrifice His only Son that we might have eternal life through Him.  And, He loves us enough to provide even the smallest details in our daily life, if we will allow Him to have a part in it.  “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.  Amen.” (Eph. 3:20, 21) (Emphasis mine)

            You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Eternal Security"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #23 – “Eternal Security”

Many, and maybe most people, believe that you can lose your salvation.  That shows that they have no confidence in Christ, no security in Him.  That is simply not a Biblical position.  However, I know some who will not even allow a discussion with them on this issue.  They are so entrenched in what they have been taught that they do not want anyone to change their mind on the subject.  That is a terrible and painful position to hold.  This position means that if you sin you will lose your salvation and must re-establish it again before something drastic happens to you.  How horrible!  A person who holds that position will be so busy trying to keep his salvation that he would not be able to be concerned about someone else’s need to be saved.  Another danger in holding that position is that a person would have to come to the point of thinking they are perfect and without sin.  And, still another and maybe more horrible consequence of believing you can lose your salvation is that you, like a young person I know, has just given up completely.  What a horrible way to have to live, especially if you have once believed in Jesus.

We must understand that no one but Jesus was, is, or can be without sin.  “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)  We cannot live in this world without occasional sin.  Jesus faced the same circumstances and temptations that we face and did not sin.  The only reason He did not sin was because He is also God.  He is both man and God where we are simply part of a fallen, sinful human race.  Even Paul, the greatest evangelist the world has ever known, sinned.  “For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.  Wretched man that I am!  Who sill set me free from the body of this death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.” (Rom. 7: 22-25) 

Thank God, He has given us a remedy for this awful problem of sin in our lives, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)  This passage means that if we confess our known sins that God will even forgive those sins that we do not recall or are aware that we have committed, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Whoa, what a gracious, merciful, and loving God we have!

We may sometimes sin but we cannot lose our salvation if we have believed in Jesus Christ.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  Many other passages are clear on this matter. (John 5:24; 6:35; 11:26; Acts 16:31; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2: 8, 9)  If the Bible says it, believe it and have confidence in Jesus Christ.

You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to come.

Lowell Parrish

"Beware"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #22 – “Beware”

My Old Testament teacher in college defined what religion is (in his mind); whatever a person needs to make life have meaning.  Now that is a teacher, who was also a pastor of a local church, who was busy with leading students down the wide path.  “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.  Beware of the false prophets, who come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matt. 7:13-15) That professor was one of those described as one in sheep’s clothing but teaching a false doctrine.  He did not believe in the inerrant word of God.  He believed that much of the Bible was stories rather than actual accounts of happenings.  How can he or those who think like him find any truth in the Scriptures.  How can you believe some of it, such as the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and see the rest of it as just stories.  We must beware of such as these.  We must be diligent to use our Bible and check all that we hear and read.

            You can occasionally come in contact with some who believe that we are all going to be in Heaven together whether Christian, Mormon, Atheist, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or whatever else; as long as you are dedicated to your belief.  The Bible tells us that there is only one way to get to Heaven and that is through the one and only, Jesus Christ.  “And there is salvation in no one else: for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) There is only one way to be reconciled to God and that is through Jesus.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the resurrection.  Without the resurrection there is no hope.  He put it this way, “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” (1 Cor. 15: 16, 17)  

We must understand the gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ.  The gospel is, “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”  (1 Corinthians 15: 3b, 4)  Once we have come to understand the gospel, we must not let anyone move us away from that belief.  “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.  For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” (2 Cor. 11: 3, 4)  The world is full of false teachers, beware and test everything by your Bible.

You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"What's Right In Your Eyes?'

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 21 – “What’s Right In Your Eyes?”

You have probably heard people say that they do not believe the Bible literally.  That is a troubling statement.  What portions do you believe and what portions do you not believe to be true?  If you believe that certain miracles are only stories instead of fact or, you believe some of the Old Testament accounts are not fact, then do you believe that Christ died for your sins?

Over the past few decades it has been contended by many, maybe most, that there is only one absolute and that is; there is no absolute.  When this is the way people view things then everything is done according to one’s own opinion.  The book of Judges makes a comment that would describe that approach to life, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21: 25)  When this condition exists, we have no standards to guide us to do the right thing.  It is all according to someone’s opinion.

The Israelites had that problem and God gave them the Ten Commandments.  This was to be their guide to living a civilized lifestyle, something to measure their actions.  Without intending on getting into politics, look at what is going on at our border with Mexico currently.  The United States has laws on the books that should control this problem of illegal aliens.  Those laws are the standard, the gauge to what should be done to control this situation.  However, the law or standard is not being enforced and chaos reigns supreme.  We should be looking to the standard to solve the problem but instead are fighting over whose opinion should trump the other’s opinion.  We can read or see on television daily how all of that is working out.  The solution is simple, enforce the law that exists; enforce the standard.

That is only an example of the results of not having any absolutes.  God is, whether we want to acknowledge Him or not, is our absolute.  He is our standard and gives us the rules that we should live by to keep us on path.  When do not believe in God’s word as the inerrant word of God, we begin to live our life by doing “what is right in his own eyes”.  That is what is going on in our nation and in our churches, today.  We have turned our back on God, our only absolute, and are struggling to find our way.  “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”  (2 Tim. 3: 16, 17)

We need to understand that God’s word is to be taken literally or, we will continue to do the things that seem right in our own eyes.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3: 5, 6)

You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Rewards in Eternity"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 20 – “Rewards in Eternity”

            The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ, the Lord of lords, and King of kings, will return to gather His Church.  His Church consists of everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

 “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thess. 4:14-17)

The Church is the bride of Christ, the body of believers.  Jesus, at His own perfect time, will gather all of the believers together in Heaven.  Afterwards, we will come with Him, as His bride, back to earth as He comes to set up His Kingdom on earth.  And, we will spend the rest of eternity with Him.

            While we do not know the day or the hour of His coming, we should be expecting it to happen at any time and should be ready.  We, in our present life, are preparing in all that we do and say, for the time to come when we will spend eternity with Him.  We are to conduct our lives in such a way as to not be embarrassed when we come face to face with Him.  “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” (1 John 2:28)  To abide in Him would mean for us to maintain a loving fellowship with Him.  In having continuing fellowship with Him would mean that we would be confident to stand before Him.  However, if we do not abide with Him, there is the distinct possibility that we would be ashamed to stand in His presence.

There is even more reason for conducting ourselves in a way that would please Him.  We will come before Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  At that meeting, we will be judged according to our conduct as believers.  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (1 Cor. 5:10)  This does not mean that our entry into eternity is in jeopardy but our rewards are at stake.  The judgment of what we have done will determine the quality and quantity of our rewards.   What kind of deeds we have done in this life preparing for the next life will determine what kind, if any, rewards we will receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Be Ambassadors"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #19 – “Be Ambassadors”

            Those who believe, have a responsibility to represent Christ in the world.  We are His ambassadors!  “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor. 5:20)  What an awesome responsibility we have.  We must tell others about Him.  But, that is not all; we must also live a Christian lifestyle.  Others should recognize a Christian by his words and deeds, or fruits. 

            Jesus said, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matt. 16:24)  There are three points contained in this verse which a disciple of Christ must try to follow.

            First, we must “deny ourselves”. This simply means that we must put aside anything which would interfere with our service to Him.  To deny ourselves would mean to become less self-centered and more Christ-centered.

            Secondly, we must “take up our cross”.  Christ already bore His cross at Calvary where He shed His innocent blood to pay for our sins.  Now, we must carry our cross for Him.  This means we must take a stand on moral issues and speak out against all forms of evil.  This is not a comfortable position to take.  It is much easier to stay clear of many issues confronting society today such as; the whole LGBT movement, abortion, divorce and remarriage, and many other hot-button issues of the day.  But, we must take a stand which often will cause us insult, sacrifice, and rejection.  This is the cross we are to bear for the sake of Christ.

            Thirdly, we must “follow Him”.  In following Christ, we must always seek to do His will in all things.  This means we must learn from His word what His instructions to us are, and then follow those instructions.

            We are instructed over and over in the Bible about how to follow Christ.  The Apostle Paul pretty well summed it up by saying, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Col. 3:17)

            If you are going to be in the ball game, you have to take your turn at bat.  Even if you strike out, and we all do from time to time, you still should be up there swinging instead of just standing there with the bat on your shoulder.  Much of the New Testament is written to point out sinful behavior.  Even though we are believers in Jesus Christ does not make a Christian perfect in this life.  It takes a lot of effort to live a good Christian life and there are many failures as we attempt to do that.  However, we must keep as our goal and our focal point, the Lord Jesus Christ and do everything we are capable of to serve Him.  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:10-12)

            You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Saved Through Faith"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 18 – “Saved Through Faith”

There are so many ways for people to be confused about Christianity.  This is certainly nothing new.  Confusion about the qualifications of Christians began not long after the Church came into existence.  The Jews questioned the validity of the Gentile converts.  The Jews believed the Gentiles must first be circumcised and could not eat certain foods.  The Apostle Paul had a real confrontation with the Council at Jerusalem over these issues. (Acts 15)  The issue was settled then and should remain settled.  There is only one requirement for being a child of God’s.  You must believe in Jesus Christ through faith.  “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40)  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:8, 9)

           

There are still some who question what you must do to be saved.  Some feel you must be baptized to be saved.  Others think you must speak in tongues.  I am sure there are many other man-made requirements.  I read once where a person, when asked if he was going to heaven responded; “I am surely going to hell because I have lost my baptism certificate.”  It is sad that there is so much confusion about such a simple plan of salvation set forth by God.  We are not under laws such as circumcision, baptism, diets and others.  Those laws are imposed by man.  Paul’s confrontation with the Council at Jerusalem was to point out that Christian liberty depends on understanding that salvation is by grace alone, through Christ alone received by faith alone. (Eph. 2:4-9)  Where does faith come from, from the word of God.  “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the work of Christ.” (Rom 10:17)

            Baptism does not make you a Christian.  There are millions of infants baptized a few weeks after birth.  That does not save them.  When they come to the age of accountability, that is when they come to the age where they can understand the gospel, they will then have to believe in Jesus Christ to be saved.  Baptism should follow conversion not precede it.  Speaking in tongue is no sign you are save, the pagans spoke in tongues.  There is only one thing that can reconcile you with God, that is, believe in Jesus Christ. 

            God has a perfect plan of salvation, one which is so simple that anyone who desires will find it.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

            You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"Be On the Alert"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 17 – “Be On the Alert”

            When we believe in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, we are forgiven of our sins and promised eternal life with Christ.  This is the greatest act of forgiveness we could ever know, one which delivers us from eternal death to eternal life.

            That is not where forgiveness ends.  We are commanded by Christ to forgive one another.  There is constant strife in the world and too often, conflict within the church.  This sometimes results from a statement made with no malice intended.  It also can come from a difference of opinion on a certain subject.  Regardless of the reason for feeling offended, we are to forgive, reconstruct our relationship, and move on in a positive direction.  When Jesus was asked by Peter, “’Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?  Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’” (Matt. 18: 21, 22)

            There should be few disagreements and no animosity between believers.  We may not agree on every little thing, but it must not cause separation as we are brothers and sisters in Christ.  The Apostle Paul, in his letter to Corinth wrote, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and that there be no division among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Cor. 1:10)  Any difference can and must be faced up to and worked out.

            We must be forgiving to our brothers and sisters in Christ, because we are commanded to forgive all men.  “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matt. 6: 14, 15)

            Let us remember; “Now the deed of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and the things like these of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, hoy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Gal. 5: 19-23)  When we are offended, let us go out of our way to resolve the difference so that it does not fester and get out of hand.  Then, let us always guard ourselves against the possibility of offending others.  “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.  Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. (Eph. 4:25-27)  We must always be careful with our behavior as the Lord advises us in His word; “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8)

            You, too, can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish

"More of God's Will"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article # 15 – “More of God’s Will”

Article #12 was written about “God’s Will For you”.  It was felt that more could be pointed out regarding this most important subject.  Most of us go about wondering, what is God’s will for me?  His will is revealed to us through the word He has given us.  The only way we can find His will then, is by reading the Bible.

            Romans chapter 12 contains instructions of what God’s will is for His children and how to accomplish it. “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  That you may prove what the will of god is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12: 1, 2)  So, God’s will is that we should not be conformed to the world, but transformed by a renewing of our mind.  Romans 12, goes on to inform us that we are to love one another, abhor evil and pursue what is good.  We are to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, fervent in spirit serving the Lord, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.  These are only a few things pointed out in this chapter which we can do to carry out God’s will.

            There are countless instructions in the Bible concerning God’s will for you and me.  “And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all men.  See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men.  Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything five thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5: 14-18)

            These are but a sample of the instructions we can follow in performing God’s will.  We must read, study, pray, and apply the word of God to our daily lives.  You may have said by now; I know these things but cannot seem to apply them, how do I accomplish these things?  It is not an easy task.  I believe that the great Apostles had a daily struggle against the forces of evil, and it is no different for us today.  We are confronted daily with two forces, those of evil and those of good.  But, it is as the Apostle Paul stated in Romans, we must be transformed by a renewing of the mind.  The more good we put into our minds the more good comes out, and the less room we have for evil.  “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:2)  The more of God’s word we can put into our mind the closer we will walk with the Him.

            This subject goes on and on, but I will close by encouraging you to read Ephesians 4: 17-24 and 6: 10-17 for a further view of what each of us must strive to do, which is God’s will for you and me.

            You can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish