Church of Christ Mallam-hillside

15/01/2024

Glory be to God

23/03/2023

14/03/2023

DO YOU HAVE COMPASSION FOR LOST SOULS?

Motivation is like "steam." Properly channeled it can move large objects, like a steam powered train. But without it, the train remains motionless. All the careful construction in preparation for travel is for nothing if there is no steam to propel the train.

So it is with us. If motivated and properly channeled, great things can be done in the area of evangelism. Unfortunately, many people, despite all of the spiritual education they have received on the subject of evangelism, still do very little with what they know. The reason? Lack of proper motivation!

What should be our motivation in evangelism? Well, what motivated Jesus? Certainly He was successful in reaching His goals. Since He is to be our example (1 Pe 2:21), whatever motivated Him should be the motivating force driving His disciples.

At least some things moved our Lord in reaching out to the lost. The first, Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the mass of lost souls (Mt 9:35-36; 14:14; 15:32). Such compassion motivated Him to do two things.

• Second, to ask His disciples to pray that God might "send out laborers into His harvest" (Mt 9:37-38).

• Then, to do something about it Himself (that is, to select and send out His apostles (Mt 10:1,5-7).

Do we ever find ourselves filled with compassion for the lost? And doing something about it? If we can only have this same compassion for lost souls, we will not rest till we are doing something to save their souls!

How can we develop or strengthen this compassion for lost souls? The best way is let God teach us to love, as He did with the Thessalonians (1 Th 4:9). This He does through the example of Christ (1 Jn 3:16-17). Therefore, that the more we meditate upon God's love for us as manifested in His Son's sacrifice, the more we will come to love others!

It also helps to be around people. To love people, you have to get to know them. When we do, we can begin to appreciate the saying attributed to Will Rogers, "I never met a man I did not like." So beware of becoming "wrapped up in your own little world." Remember that Jesus was one to become involved with "the multitudes."

Have we allowed the love of God to fill our hearts with compassion for the multitude of lost and dying souls? Are we making an effort to be around people and getting to know them?
Belove are we evangelize to the sheeps outside the fold and bring them in for God?
Stay bless.
Ernest

17/02/2023

IDENTITY OF THE CHURCH IN THE BIBLE

How would you set out to locate a long lost friend? Naturally, you would gather all of the marks of identification and then begin the search. Only after finding the individual that matched every mark of identification, would you accept him as being the one that you were seeking. Likewise, there are many churches in the world. How can one know which is the right one, the genuine one? How can one know which one is Christ's church? You must take all of the marks of iden- tification and compare the various churches with them. Only after you find the one that matches every mark of identification can you be sure you have found the right one. But what are the marks of identifica- tion? Where are they found? The Bible is the answer.

1. Christ established the church. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).

2. It had its beginning in Jerusalem (Isaiah2:2-3). This is seen in Luke 24:45-49 and Acts 2:5.

3. The date of origin was A. D. 33. This is also based on Acts 2, with the church being established on the day of Pentecost.

4. The church wore the name of Christ. Speaking of the vari- ous congregations, Paul wrote, "The churches of Christ greet you" (Romans 16:16). He further says, in speaking to the church at Corinth, "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually" (1 Corinthians 12:27). But what is the body? The church (Ephesians 1:22,23).

5. Its members were called Christians. "And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). "Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost persuade me to become a Christian" (Acts 26:28). "Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter" (1 Peter 4:16). And finally, remember, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

6. Christ is its only head. "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18).
7. There is but one. "There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling" (Ephesians 4:4). But what is the body? It is the church (Colossians 1:18). Therefore if there is one body and it is the church, there is but one church.

8. There are terms for entering the church. These include faith (Hebrews 11:6), repentance (Acts 17:30), confession of faith (Romans 10:9,10), and baptism (Mark 16:16). Once one is saved he is added to the church (Acts 2:47). Also Romans 6:3,4; Galatians 3:26,27; and 1 Corinthians 12:13 teach that one is baptized into Christ and his church. Through obeying these commands one is said to be born into the church or the kingdom (John 3:3-5).

9. The worship of the church is peculiar. Christians are to assemble on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7) to sing (Ephesians 5:19), to pray (Acts 2:42), to study (2 Timothy 2:15), to partake of the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7) and to give (1 Corinthians 16:2).

10. The doctrine of the church is based on the Bible only. It is accepted without addition, subtraction, or substitution (Revelation 22:18,19). The Bible is the one and only creed of the church. Additional books or creeds are rejected.

11. The organization of the church must be according to God's plan. Christ is the head (Ephesians 5:23) and each congregation is to have its own elders and deacons (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1). The Lord's church does not have any earthly head or headquarters and neither does it have national or international man-made organization.

12. The mission of the church is three-fold. Its work is to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15,16), to help those in need (Galatians 6; James 2), and to edify the members (Hebrews 3:12-14).

13. Each Christian must live the faithful Christian life. We can not love the world (1 John 2:15; James 4:4), but must produce the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23). Only the faithful will receive the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

These are some of the marks of the church. These are taken from the pattern, the Bible. Compare your church with these. For example, take the first four. Ask yourself, "Who established my church?" Was it established by Christ or some man? Then ask, "Where was my church established? Did it have its beginning in Jerusalem or some other place?" Continue by asking, "When was my church estab- lished?" If it was after A. D. 33 it couldn't be the Lord's. And finally, ask yourself, "What name does my church wear?" If it is not the name of Christ, then how can it belong to Christ? You could continue, but these are enough to help you see whether your church is of the Lord or of man. You can also compare other churches to these identification marks to determine if they are of God or not. I believe you will be able to see the difference if you'll be honest with yourself.

Should you find that the church you are a member of is not the one true church of the Bible, then let me urge you to leave it behind, learn the truth, obey it, and be added to the church that you can read about in God's word. Then you'll be in the one in which salvation is to be found.
May the good Lord help us, as we are searching for the truth in Jesus name.
Ernest

10/02/2023

Thank you God, for being with us during Achiase Evangelism. This is our duty as your church. Please help us.

08/02/2023

WORSHIP OF THE CHURCH

The New Testament Church met on the first day of the week for public worship. The assemblies were in general held in private houses. The service was informal, but characterized by great sincerity and devotion. It consisted of songs, prayer, reading of the Scripture and partaking of the Lord's Supper. There was no set formality or ritual and the order of service varied from one congregation to another, but in the essentials there was general agreement. Simplicity and fervency charac- terized all that was done. Prayer was the sincere expression of the heart, making wants known to God and expressing grati- tude for blessings received. Earnest devotion and praise to God were expressed in song. Although some have supposed the Greek word "psallo" (used in Eph. 5:19) to indicate the use of instrumental music in early church worship, it is generally ad- mitted by the scholars of ancient church history that the first century Christians used no instrumental music in their worship services. The general practice was congregational a ca****la singing.

MANNER OF LIFE

It was customary for the early Christians to share their faith and hope and also their possessions. In the Jerusalem church, before the persecution began, it was customary for the Chris- tians to have their regular meals together. As the number was large and included many poor it was necessary for those with possessions to care for those who were without. This situation became complicated because of the large number of persons away from home. They had come from great distances to wor- ship at the Temple. After the establishment of the church and their conversion, it was natural for them to desire to remain in Jerusalem to learn from the Apostles and participate in the activities of the church. Soon their money was gone, work was unavailable and, accordingly, the number dependent upon the daily ministration of food increased. With this situation local Christians sold their possessions and gave the money to the Apostles to be used as there was need.

Some have used this situation to support the contentions of Socialists and Communists in their effort to establish a system of community of goods or state ownership of property. Nothing is farther from the truth. When the early Christians brought money to the Apostles it was a voluntary sharing. The Apostles did not divide every one's property so that they all had an equal amount, neither did they hold the property of all to be used by all. They used what was voluntarily given to meet the needs of those who had nothing. Distribution was made according as any one had need, but the system is clearly that of private ownership of property.

Out of the early custom of eating together grew the love feasts. This term applied to the meal that was eaten preceding the Lord's Supper. The entire congregation brought their food to the place of worship and ate together a common meal. This custom varied and in some places the love feast followed the worship. The poor of the community were invited to share in the meal.
Are you really a Christian?
Do you do the same?
If not then please try your best and the Lord will bless you.
Thank you.
Ernest

07/02/2023

THE CHRISTIAN LEADER AND WOMEN MINISTRY

• The Bible teaches in 1 Tim. 2:8, 11-14 that, when women and men come together, then men should lead. Yet, we need to ask, is there any role for women in the lord's church? The church is just like the home. The father has a role, the mother has a role and the children have a role, if we view the church as the body of Christ, it becomes apparent that every member of the body is vital to the growth and the proper working of the body. All the parts of the body should be developed together. Each part is as important as the other

• An organizational structure which allows a major portion of the body to remain inactive while special few parts carry the work-load severely limits what the body can accomplish. Every member has been lovingly created by God for a special purpose, a purpose that is to be discovered and nurtured by the leadership. A church which does not actively challenge every member to grow toward a mature knowledge of Christ is anti-scriptural. Ephesians 4 describes leaders as 'equippers,' preparing every member for works of service through a growing knowledge of Christ Jesus.

Women Role in the Church

• Women have roles to play in the church; spiritually and physically. Each group in the church has some peculiar needs, interests, challenges and specialties that need to be addressed to achieve the church's objectives. The leadership is confronted with the task to see to it that each group is nurtured in the way of the Lord.

• If we really want the church to grow, then there is a need to develop holistic ministry to cater for all the needs in the church. There has been a lot of controversy over the role of women in the Church. Paul told Titus to admonish the older women to teach the young women to love their husbands and children. Many opportunities and needs exist for women to teach and lead other women, which would be a faithful application of Titus 2:3-5 basis for a women's ministry in every church and why it is still . Let us talk about why that is so. I want to address the biblical needed today in our egalitarian society.
Women profit from being with other females - they learn from one another and encourage one another. The apostle Paul built on this idea in his instruction to Titus, who was pastoring the church in Crete. Knowing that Titus himself could not do everything that the church needed to be done, Paul carefully instructed him about how to organize the church.

• Titus himself was to teach the older men, the older women, the young men, and slaves (Titus 2:1-9). But, what happened to the young women? Paul removes them from Titus' direct teaching and entrusts them to the care of the older women (Titus 2:4-5). From the beginning of the church, women ministering to women were in the plan. Titus was to be actively involved in teaching, encouraging and instructing the godly older women so that they would be equipped for the task of leading the younger women.

• Paul encouraged Titus to pick the older women based on some additional qualifications (Titus 2:3) - not all the old women were chosen! The women he should invest his time in were to be godly in all aspects of their lives and behavior. Finally, they should have an interest in mentoring and training the younger women. These ladies were to be 'teachers of what is good'.

• Women have a major role to play in building the lord's church but when men and women came together, men are supposed to take the leadership role.
Thank you.
Ernest

20/01/2023

01/12/2022

*THE PLACE OR THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH*
Can we agree with the Bible that our dear sisters in the Lord's Churches/family are equal siblings of God with roles to play to complement the men for the effectual growth of the family/church?

We are to humble ourselves to study the Bible continually so that we can grow daily from the rudimental principles of the infant church/Christianity, and move towards maturity.
Before continuing with the place or role of our women in the N. T. Church, let's patiently and humbly reflect on the following passages, and under the fact that it is very easy for the less matured distinguish between simple *black* and *white* matters of the Scriptures. However, when it comes to matters that borders on *GREY* areas, it requires patience, humility, serious studies, and matured scriptural knowledge to decide.
1. 1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
2. Heb 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, ...
3. 1Co 14:20 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; be babes in evil, but in thinking be mature.

4. And count the forbearance of our Lord as salvation. *So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. _As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction._* ( 2Pe 3:15-16)
5. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2Pe 3:18)
6. I have applied all this to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brethren, *that you may learn by us _not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another._* (1Co 4:6)

Brethren in our quest to serve God as N. T. Christians, we must also be very much careful not to play God by binding where neither our Lord Jesus Christ nor the Apostles bond on christians as rules or restrictions.
The very problem our Lord Jesus had with the pharisees were their attempt to play piety and holier than thou with the commandments of God. They tightened the law to be extremely difficulty for they themselves to even obey. *_They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger._* (Mat 23:4)

This same attitude began to rear it's head during the time of the apostles:
*_But because of false brethren secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bo***ge-- to them we did not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you._* (Gal 2:4-5)
One of the significant marked difference between the Old Testament religion and Christianity is the freedom God has given to His Children in Christ.
*_For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery._* (Gal 5:1)

This means that there are several areas of our worship and service to God, and religious practices which will require our own judgement based on the New Testament doctrine and the expediency of the situations and prevailing circumstances. For *"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds."* (Heb 10:16)

*THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCTRINE/APOSTOLIC TEACHINGS?*
We need to understand that, *the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles* (the _New Testament *Doctrine of Christ*) are basically *BROAD-BASE GODLY PRINCIPLES or standards; fundamentals; basics; or BEDROCK,* from which other truths can be derived in order to practically obey, observe or operate the doctrine/teachings of Christ_
*_How the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit_* ( Eph 3:3-5)
We are therefore, *_built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone_* (Eph 2:20)
*For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.* (1Co 3:11)
For example: Christians must observe the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week, but as to the time within the Sunday, whether by sitting or standing, under a tree, in cave, a house or a church building, will be determined by the individual congregation depending on their situation and circumstances.
Again, the doctrine of *Go Preach the Gospel* is the principle of winning souls for Christ, however, the effectual implementation of this command requires human wisdom and judgement as to *_how to go; when to go; where to go at a given moment, how to attract or draw people to come to listen to the gospel; what to say to which people at any given time and place, etc are all given to human wisdom and judgement_*

We should therefore be very circumspect in the way we sometimes look at some practices, activities and programs the brotherhood, as we quickly jump into conclusions to criticize, condemn and judge one another, instead of *_reasoning together to build one another up._*
In many of such matters, most of the brethren who quickly come out to criticize, chastise and condemn others have very limited information, knowledge or understanding about the things or matters they are so passionate about.
*_But these men revile whatever they do not understand, and by those things that they know by instinct ..._* (Jud 1:10)

Brethren, let us learn to be humble and continue to learn more of the word of God in our desire to serve God in His Kingdom either as elders, deacons, preachers, teachers, leaders or members of God's glorious church.
*Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.* (II Tim. 2:15)
*_Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also._* (James 3:1-2)

As God's people, Christians and light of the world, let us demonstrate that we are truly following Jesus Christ.
*A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."* (Joh 13:34-35)
*_That they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me._* (Joh 17:21)

We should be seen to be members of the same body/family and make Christianity attractive to the world around us.
*Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.* (Phi 2:3-4)
*_Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing._* (1Th 5:11)
*"I will follow up with my view on the place and role of our beloved siblings (women) in the Lord's family/church.* "
Stay bless