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 mu...

     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 ...