Sefwi Bekwai Church Of Christ

03/12/2025

09/02/2025

The Church of Christ.

The church of Christ is not a
denomination founded by man nor
a part of any religious organization
founded by man. It originated in Heaven
in the mind of God and was set up on
earth in the city of Jerusalem on the first
Pentecost following the resurrection
of Jesus Christ, the Lord (Ephesians
3:8-11; Acts 2). Instead of working with
denominations, members of the church
of Christ plead that all believers in Jesus
Christ heed His prayer for unity and
become one in His bloodbought body,
the church ( John 17:20-21; Ephesians
4:4-6; Acts 20:28).
The foundation of the church of
Christ is Jesus Christ Himself (1
Corinthians 3:11). A building is only
as strong as its foundation. The same
is true of a church. If a church is built
upon a man or a human creed, it will
fall. Only Jesus Christ has a right to
build a church for He alone is “the
Christ, the Son of the Living God”
(Matthew 16:13-19).
The belief or creed of the church of
Christ is based upon the great truth that
Jesus is the Christ, “the Son of the living
God” (Matthew 16:16). Just before Jesus
returned to Heaven, He commanded
His apostles: “Go ye therefore, and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
into the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I commanded
you: and lo, I am with you always, even
unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19-
20). Apostles and evangelists of the first
century, under the direction of the Holy
Spirit, wrote down the teachings of Jesus.
This we have in the New Testament. We
have no other law, guide, or standard
of authority. This is truly a creed that
needs no revision. It is perfectly suited
to the changing conditions of man in all
countries, cultures, and climates of the
world in all the centuries until Jesus comes
again (2 Timothy 3:16-17)!
The designations used by the church
of Christ are only those which are found
in the New Testament for the church and
its members. In Acts 11:26 we read that
“the disciples were called Christians first in
Antioch.” Members of the church honor
Christ by wearing this divinely given
name. In Romans 16:16, we read: “All the
churches of Christ salute you.” Christ said,
“I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18).
The name “church of Christ” simply means
that the church belongs to Christ for He
is its purchaser and builder. Salvation is
found only in the name of Christ (Acts
4:11-12).
The worship of the church of Christ is
plainly given in the New Testament. Jesus
said: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship
him must worship in spirit and truth”
( John 4:24). The day Christians worship
is Sunday, the first day of the week, the
“Lord’s Day” (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians
16:2; Revelation 1:10). The acts of
worship which are specified by God are:
singing, preaching, praying, giving,
and the Lord’s Supper (Colossians
3:16; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; Acts 20:7; 2
Timothy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
The music of the church of Christ is
singing. This is the only kind of music
which is authorized by God in His
word for the worship of His church
(Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19).
Singing is commanded of all Christians,
not just a favored few. Choirs, quartets,
solos, and choral groups are not
mentioned in the New Testament.
Therefore, there is no authority for
such! Instruments of music such as
pianos, organs, drums, guitars, et
cetera are not mentioned by the New
Testament either. To use such is to
go beyond what God has written. It is
sinful (2 John 9-11; Revelation 22:18-
19)!
The finances of the church of Christ
are free-will offerings of the members
as God has prospered them. They are
given upon the first day of the week
when the Christians meet to worship
(1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians
9:7). They are to be used for the work
of the church in preaching the Gospel
of Christ and helping the needy (Mark
16:15; 2 Timothy 2:2; Galatians 6:10).
Other means of raising money for the
work of the church such as garage sales,
auctions, suppers, festivals, taxes, and
tithes are not commanded in the New Testament. Therefore, they are done
without the authority of Christ (2 John
9-11).
The organization of the church
of Christ follows the simple pattern
given in the New Testament. Jesus
Christ is the only Head of the church
(Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18).
The headquarters of the church of
Christ is in Heaven where the Head,
Jesus Christ, is (Acts 1:9-11; 2:30-33).
Christians in each community meet
together to worship and serve God
(Acts 20:6-7; I Corinthians 1:1-2). Each
one of these congregations is a “church
of Christ” and as a whole are “churches
of Christ” (Romans 16:16). Each local
church of Christ is self-governing under
Jesus Christ, the Head. They are led by
men known variously as “elders” (Acts
14:23), “bishops” (Philippians 1:1),
or “pastors” (Ephesians 4:11). These
different designations all refer to the
same office (Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5,
7; 1 Peter 5:1-4). These leaders must
have all the qualifications given by God
before they can serve in the eldership
(1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Deacons
are servants of the church (Philippians
1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13) who also must
be qualified before they can serve.
Evangelists are preachers of the Gospel
(2 Timothy 4:1-5). They may serve local
churches under their elders or carry the
Gospel into new areas (1 Timothy 1:3;
Acts 8:5-40; 21:8-9).
The membership of the church of Christ is made up of all those who hear the
Gospel of Christ, believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s Son, repent of all their past sins,
confess that Jesus is the Christ the Son of
the living God, and are baptized (buried)
in water for the remission of sins (Romans
10:17; John 8:24; Acts 17:30-31; Acts 8:37;
Romans 10:9-10; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:4).
Members who remain faithful unto death
will receive the crown of life (Revelation
2:10; Galatians 6:7-9).
The Bible speaks of but one church,
the church of Christ (Ephesians 4:4;
Colossians 1:18). Christ has promised to
save His church at the Last Day (Ephesians
5:23). No salvation is promised to those
out of Christ but instead they “shall be
punished with everlasting destruction from
the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
Why not become a member of the
church of Christ today so that you may
have eternal life?

29/11/2024

REASONING FROM THE SCRIPTURES

19/11/2024

The question of why someone from a denomination might need to be baptized again into the Lord's church arises from the biblical understanding of baptism's purpose, mode, and the authority under which it is performed. Below is an explanation based on Scripture:

1. Baptism Must Be for the Right Purpose

Baptism in the New Testament is explicitly for the remission of sins and to enter into Christ’s body, the church.

Acts 2:38: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

If a previous baptism was not done for the remission of sins (e.g., as an outward sign of an inward grace), it may not align with the biblical teaching.

Romans 6:3-4: "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death."

Baptism symbolizes dying with Christ, being buried, and rising to walk in newness of life. If this understanding was missing in a prior baptism, it might need to be redone.

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2. Baptism Must Be in the Name of Jesus (By His Authority)

Acts 19:1-5 shows an example of re-baptism. Paul meets disciples who had received John’s baptism (a valid baptism at the time), but since it was not in the name of Jesus, they were baptized again.

Matthew 28:19: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Baptism should be performed by Christ’s authority and into His church, which follows His teachings.

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3. Baptism Adds One to the Lord’s Church

The Bible teaches that baptism is the point at which one is added to the Lord’s church, not a denomination.

Acts 2:41, 47: "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them... And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

If the previous baptism placed someone in a denominational structure rather than the Lord’s church (the one body, Ephesians 4:4-6), re-baptism may be necessary to align with biblical teaching.

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4. Baptism Must Be Immersion

The biblical mode of baptism is immersion, not sprinkling or pouring.

Colossians 2:12: "Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."

If someone was sprinkled or poured upon, they were not baptized in the biblical sense and would need to be immersed.

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Conclusion

Someone from a denomination may need to be baptized again into the Lord's church if their previous baptism did not:

Align with the biblical purpose (remission of sins, entering Christ).

Follow the biblical authority (in the name of Jesus Christ).

Place them into the Lord’s one church.

Use the proper biblical mode (immersion).

Encouragement to Reflect

Acts 19:5 reminds us that even sincere people may need to be baptized again if their previous baptism was not done correctly:
"When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."

This reaffirms the importance of ensuring one’s baptism fully aligns with the teaching and example of Scripture.

16/11/2024

Ye Shall Know Them by Their Fruit
Steve Vice
False Teachers

The Bible is the solid foundation upon which Christians stand. There is no substitute; nothing else will suffice. God gave this word so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The prescriptions and principles found there are to guide each Christian in life, in work, in hobbies, in friendships and relationships, in marriage, in your words and in your actions.

William Miller prophesied that Jesus would return between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844. March 21, 1844 came and went without Jesus’ return. Well, a common pattern for false prophet’s is to say that there was a misunderstanding or a miscalculation. He readjusted the date to April 18, 1844. Again, April 18th came and went without Jesus appearing in the clouds. Some of Miller’s followers prophesied 3 different dates in 1845. Another form of this prophecy said that Jesus was sitting on a cloud and need to be “prayed down” for the advent. Another redressing said that it was actually the heavenly sanctuary that was being “cleansed” not the earth or the church. Many lives were ruined by William Miller and his adherents.

Moses wrote,

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?'—when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. – Deuteronomy 18:20-22

According to “QAnon” sources, John F. Kennedy would appear with Donald Trump at a rally in Dallas, TX, on October 17, 2020 to replace Mike Pence as the President’s running mate. The theory disregarded the fact that it was illegal to change running mates at that late date, and that some had already begun to vote before that date. Also, President Trump was in Wisconsin on Oct. 17. You probably were also unaware that this came about after a previous failed prophecy that JFK, Jr. would appear in 2019 to help usher in “the storm,” wherein all the president’s political enemies would be arrested. He also failed to appear at the July 4th, 2020 rally with President Trump as prophesied. (Multiple sources were consulted for this material.)

John F. Kennedy, Jr. is dead! The prophecies of his reappearing are proven to be false. Remember the Bible’s definition of a false prophet. Do not be deceived by false prophets.

People who create theories like this often use words such as, “possibly,” “could be,” “might,” “indicates,” and “may” to avoid libel suits. They insert a possibility where there may be a void of information, and then, later on, speak of that possibility as a fact. They connect irrelevant facts to fit their theories. And (have you noticed) they are very fluid. Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Mat. 7:16).

Would it not be more profitable to spend time looking at the failed conspiracy of Judas and the priests and rulers and the Roman government to stop God’s plan to save the lost of this world. Not one eye witness recorded in the New Testament said, “Maybe I saw Jesus,” or, “It was very possible that was Him.” Even the Roman soldier said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Mat. 27:54).

13/11/2024

A church is important.

Designed by God, the church is an indispensable part of a Christian’s walk. In it, we find strength, encouragement, instruction, and correction. We worship God together. We share resources. We call each other brother and sister, because we are all part of the family of God.

In a church, we are all welcomed. It doesn’t matter your race, or gender; it doesn’t matter how young or old. We are all one in Christ. As such, we are all equals, and collectively push toward the same goal of maturity in Jesus, and a home in Heaven with our Creator.

If you have been looking for a church, that’s great, because we’ve been looking for you! A church is only as strong as its individual parts, and we want people of the same mind to worship with us.

I am sure you have additional questions. Church is an important part of your life, and we’d be honored to sit down and talk with you further. Feel free to stop by one of our services.

05/10/2024

WE ARE NOW ON YOUTUBE
https://youtube.com/-l9r?si=d70zaYFa3PJ-yo9u