HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH EZINE

The term means without a religion, heathen, etc. but has been used in the past as a person who was not a Christian, now is used as a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim. A pagan religion, it seems, is just about anything which is superstition, witchcraft, gods, goddesses, etc, which have no real foundation or substance. Neo-pagan simply means new (or current day) paganism.

Many of the very old Pagan religions began early on, possibly even during the Patriarchal times and certainly during the time when God had given the Law of Moses to the Jews. Most of the non-Jewish people completely left following Jehovah God and they developed many heathen beliefs in imaginary gods and godesses.

After the establishment of the Lord's church, there was much turmoil, from the Roman government, Jewish resentment of Christians, Pagan influence, and many other such factors. Here is a link to two pages of the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia Of Religious Knowledge that will give you some insight as to what began to occur by the 4th century, from about 325 A.D. Go read the link page and when you reach the bottom, click on the next page button and read at least one more page. Click Here

It is difficult to know what influenced things more, Constantine's rules and restrictions on the church or just the desire of the then apostacizing church to add pagan numbers to their membership. Whatever the root cause, pagan celebrations and practices were accepted into church activities and "Christianized" to make them acceptable to others. Many of these celebrations and practices are observed with enthusiasm by many "Christian" religions today. The Lord's church needs to take notice and avoid these innovations as the plague.

Read as many of the following articles as you can find time to. It is a subject that we do not need to ignore.

When we meet in that land over yonder, ('Tis a beautiful thought we now ponder,)
No heartache or sin, Will be allowed in
And from Jesus we'll nevermore wander.

"Well done, enter in" to the city fair, The land that is free from trouble and care;
Where no sad goodbyes, Bring tears to the eyes
And no sickness will be found anywhere.

Nothing there will defile, nothing will stain, Nothing will cause the redeemed any pain;
All our labors o'er, When we reach that shore
We gave up this world the life-crown to gain.

There we'll be with the saints of all ages, Where the tempest of sin no more races;
The land of sweet rest, Awaiting the blest:
Those who have been made free from sins wages.

(Reprinted by permission from H. L. Gradowith's Archives)

Chula Vista Books is owned and operated by Mark and Teah McWhorter. We carry a wide selection of Bible related materials--ladies' books, childrens' materials, commentaries, apologetics, lectureship books, missions books, class books, debates, sermon books, church history, topical studies, Bible covers, Bibles, tracts, BCCs and more.

We also send out used book lists from time to time. Unfortunately we do not have a catalog at present but invite your inquiries. If you would like to be on our mailing list, send us your email address.

Mark McWhorter, 420 Chula Vist Mtn Rd, Pell City AL 35125, Phone 205-338-1843

Does your congregation have a web site? Can you add, update and delete information from your existing web site easily? If you answered no to either question visit The Lord's Way. This new service allows you to create a web site for your congregation and update it yourself whenever you want by simply completing online forms. The service is designed for any congregation that wants a web site that contains current, updated and fresh information but does not want to invest the time and money in learning about the inner-workings of the Internet. Your new site will be packed with information about your congregation. Visit us and take a tour!

You know, we all ought to read more. I once read almost incessantly. Below is a small item I found buried in the archived articles of Science Frontier's Digest since 1982. A very interesting website.

Just another little item that shows one that all creation is of Intelligent Design! All of these things within an infinite universe, of infinite size, of infinite time, functioning without management or intelligence? I am dumb, but some are dumber!!

The temple of Isis was built on the island of Philae, but later moved to the neighboring island of Agikia. The temple, with minor exceptions, belongs to the Graeco-Roman period. It has the distinction of outliving all other Egyptian temples as a place of worship and priestly rituals.

For those in the listening area of WDNG (1450) AM in Anniston, Alabama tune in for the Colvin Street church of Christ's radio program on Sunday mornings. The time slot is 9:30 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. CST

Regular speakers will be William B. Kughn and Elbert Lewis.

The future of the church rests on our ability to train effective leaders. There will always be a need for leaders to rise to the occasion as servants, Bible class teachers, ministers, deacons, and elders. Believing that such training should begin at an early age, Leadership Training for Christ provides an opportunity for youngsters, beginning in the third grade, to recognize and develop leadership skills.

Training is Biblical, practical, and in-depth. Leadership Training for Christ provides local congregations an opportunity to work with children and teens on a year-round basis. The second annual SELTC convention is being planned for March 29-31 in Mobile, AL. For more information please see our website Click Here or call 205-988-5808.

The Bear Valley Bible Institute, Scottsboro Extension (BVBISE) is half-way through it's second year of operation under the oversight of the elders of the Broad Street Church of Christ in Scottsboro, Alabama. The school is an extension of the BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE of DENVER. 40 courses (and eight out-of-class mini-courses) completed over a four-year period lead to the Bachelor of Biblical Studies Degree. The Associates Degree may be earned in half that time.

One course is taught each month (except July and December) in two all-day Saturday sessions along with outside assignments. The school is TUITION FREE. The only costs to the student are for required texts & materials, and a $5 fee each Saturday to help cover the teacher's expenses. The teachers are academically well-qualified and experienced gospel preachers who know and love the Bible as the verbally inspired and authoritative word of God, and who volunteer their time and work as a labor of love.

BVBISE is committed to training sound and able Bible teachers (men and women), and faithful gospel preachers for service in the kingdom of Christ. The format is designed to make this training possible for men and women who must continue their jobs and other pursuits while they study. Credit is given for previous college or preacher-school study. A preacher-school graduate may be able to earn the Bachelor of Biblical Studies Degree in as little as four months of study. For more information please contact the Broad Street Church of Christ, 613 South Broad Street, Scottsboro, AL 35768. Phone: 256-574-2489. EMAIL

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mike, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mike cord as he went.

Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again.

After several circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

May God bless His faithful children where ever they are.

The Cock and the Jewel

A Cock, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found a precious stone and exclaimed: "If your owner had found thee, and not I, he would have taken thee up, and have set thee in thy first estate; but I have found thee for no purpose. I would rather have one barleycorn than all the jewels in the world."...Aesop