Ironworks

     Are you thankful it is over? What is over? The constant barrage of political advertisements on television, YouTube, and in  our mail. However, if the Lord does not return first, it is coming back. It will happen again every 2 years just like it has since our nation's founding. There will even be special elections and local elections that will happen in the meantime, but now you can take a rest for a while. As temporary citizens of the United States, we understand this is the way our nation is governed. The problem we have though is that some would have the church of our Lord operate like the government in our own land.       Some congregations have imported a denominational practice of reaffirmation of elders. It was recently brought to my attention that a congregation in Arkansas has elected to do this. I attempted to ask one of their elders to describe the process and the authority by which they came to this conclusion. The Lord’s church must have authority for all matters f

     This week we will begin a series on the qualifications of elders. We know the pattern for the New Testament church is that elders be appointed in every congregation (cf. Titus 1:5). Each of those who would be appointed as elders must be fully qualified according to what the Holy Spirit has revealed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4, and Acts 20:28.  We are very blessed to have good and godly men, Bob, Jack, and Gary, who have served and continue to serve well. With Bob and Colene’s relocation, our elders have taken the task of looking at adding a man to the eldership. It is important that all of the congregation be invested in our study of such an important role in the Lord’s church.       When elders are appointed, they must be fully qualified according to the Scriptures. If they are not fully qualified, they must not serve in that role. A brother made the observation recently that it is easier to get a man in than it is to get him out. So it is of the utmost importa

      Have you ever been in discussion with someone of an opposing view? As you talk you may give them the time to make their points and then you will make a rebuttal. When you speak to someone who believes a doctrine unfounded in the Bible, how might you correct it? With the Bible a common thing that I have found when discussing the error of Perseverance of the Saints or “Once Saved Always Saved,” is that when confronted with the Word that disproves this doctrine, they will resort to this statement, “He/she was not saved in the first place.” So how might we answer that?      In Acts 8:4-24, we read of the account of Philip’s preaching in Samaria. Simon believed and was baptized into Christ (cf Acts 8:13;Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). However, when he saw that Peter and John were able to give the gift of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, he offered money to buy it. Peter did not tell him to be baptized so that his sins would be remitted. He had already become a Christian. So now this