The Good News Is God listens to us when we respectfully and with humility approach His throne of grace. His ears are open to all His creation both good and evil that want to change. God hears every word that comes from the mouth of all mankind. He is listening for those who seek Him and His Truth. The alien sinner who wants to no longer resist His will through repentance and submission will be provided with His assistances. God will send help and answers using His Inspired Word, the Bible, and His servants that make themselves available. Please consider the following examples.

God listened to a non-Christian named Cornelius

Act 10:1  There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: KJV

God sent His servant Peter to help Cornelius

Acts 10:21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? 22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. 23 Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. KJV

Peter preached the Word of God to him

Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) 37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: 40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; 41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.  KJV

Cornelius submitted to the Word of God and was no longer an alien

Act 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. KJV

The Good News Is God hears you. There is a servant right here and now who is willing to teach you the Inspired Word of God that will save you. Give us a call. It is up to you. What do you say?

The Good News is there is a Church that can be defined by using only the Bible.

Why are there so many churches these days? With over 43,000 Christian denominations in the world, how do you know that the one you attend is the Church that Jesus gave His life for? This is very important as the word “denomination” literally means divisions.  This is very important as the salvation of your soul depends on it. Not testing what you have been taught by men is dangerous. Not testing men that tell you how you are to believe and what your faith should be based on is dangerous. When using only the Bible, you will insure your spiritual ladder is on the right wall. Is the church you are attending completely found in the New Testament? For your soul’s sake please consider the following.

Why is it important to use the Bible only to define the church you belong to?

2Ti 3:16  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. NIV

Why use the Bible only to define the church?

Hos 4:6  my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. NIV

How is the Church that belongs to Christ defined Biblically and who is in charge of that Church?

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. NIV

Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her NIV

How many Churches or bodies of Christ does the Bible recognize?

Eph 4:3  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. NIV

Can keeping the unity of the Spirit include dividing into different churches and using men’s names to define what you are or what you call yourselves?

1Co 1:10  I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? NIV

There are a lot of people who belong to this or that denomination, they all can’t be all wrong can they?

Mat 7:13  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. NIV

I feel in my heart that its ok how I am worshiping, it does not go entirely with the Bible but most of it does. Will my sincerity get me into Heaven?

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. NIV

Is it ok to introduce things into the church that are not authorized by the Word of God? Will God even care about such minor infractions?

Lev 10:1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. :2 So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: “‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.‘” Aaron remained silent. NIV

Heb 10:29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. NIV

What will happen if I except things in the church by taking away or adding to what the Bible teaches?

Rev 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. NIV

How many Gospels are there?

Gal 1:6  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel– 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! NIV

What is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Mark 16:16  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. NIV

What other types of Gospels are being preached that I should be aware of?

Gal 1:9  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. NIV

Does the church I attend teach the Bible’s plan of salvation?

Hear Rom 10:17  Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. NIV

Believed Acts_8:12  But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. NIV

Confess Luke 12:8  “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, NIV

Repent Act 2:37  Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” NIV

Be Baptized Act 2:38  And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. NIV

I am set in my ways and I do not care if the church I attend was founded on the doctrines of men and not the Bible.

Gen 3:4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. NIV

Mat 15:8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.'” NIV

2Th 1:8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might NIV

Can anything worldly be brought into the Church that Christ died for and it still be Holy and accepted by God?

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. NIV

The Good News is you can use the Bible to define the one and only true Church that Jesus gave His life for. The Good News is God has used His grace to give you time to make sure your Spiritual ladder is on the wall that leads to Heaven.

By Tim Anderson Evangelist and Minister Eastern U.P. Church of Christ