HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH EZINE

"These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among the brethren." (Proverbs 6: 16-19)

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that here be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"(1 Corinthians 1: 10-13)

"because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and living like ordinary people? For whenever someone says, "I'm with Paul," and another, "I'm with Apollos," are you not typical men?"(1 Corinthians 3: 3-4)

"Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!"(Matthew 18: 7)

Division is something that God hates. It is contrary to the wishes and prayers of Christ. (John 17: 21-23) Contrary to the purpose of Christ. (John 10:16) Those that cause them are to be avoided (Romans 16:17)

With all these warnings and Christ's pleadings, how can several thousand different man made denominations continue to be content while dividing the Lord's church with instructions of man rather than what the Bible teaches? And the divisions that they cause are much greater than the bickering of those Christians at Corinth.

And we have brethren, within the Lord's body, who are radically wresting the scriptures to their own liking, more every day, causing more and more offences and divisions within our own ranks. Read Matthew 18: 7 again and then read the verse (6) before it. These things need our attention brethren and we need to strive and pray daily that we are not a part of any one of these awful things.

The Lord's church today is divided into dozens of factions, several so far astray that there is no question that they are no longer a part of the body of Christ, such as the ICC and the Boston movement, but from that on down to the radically conservative "one cup" brethren, our differences are as numerous and as sinful as is denominationalism. We preach a return to the pattern of the New Testament church and then we distort and add to it ourselves without authorization. Especially among our selves, we ought to study conscientiously to determine if we are correct in what we have adopted into the church activities or, are the ones who take offence correct in doing so. Whatever, it needs to be resolved and we are all in danger until we exhaust our efforts to that end. Below you will find some links to lessons pertinent to this.

Was our nation founded on faith in God? Consider the witness of the Supreme Court Building, completed in 1932. Today, as the Justices enter the eastern portal of the building, they pass beneath a huge relief sculpture. The focal point of that sculpture is the image of Moses, holding the Ten Commandments. Hermon MacNeil, the architect chosen for designing this portal, ensured that our highest court in the land was yet another visible example of our nation's godly heritage. Just 40 years earlier, the Supreme Court determined, "Religion, morality, and knowledge are necessary to good government, the preservation of liberty, and the happiness of mankind."

"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:1-3).

We generally look at the sectarian world as being the grand violators of Paul's desire for unity and Jesus' prayer for the same in John 17. Denominationalism certainly is the epitome of division and discord. We need not, however, look beyond ourselves in the Lord's church for some of the most flagrant infractions of this divine injunction. It is a real eye opener when you see brethren who are not divided by any particular matter of faith, but are so separated in heart and spirit as to "bite and devour one another" (Galatians 5:15). They seem to be living examples of the very spirit of malice and bitterness that surely they preach against from time to time. If so, what hypocrisy!

It makes me wonder sometimes how hard we, as brethren, really strive for unity and peace. Paul said, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans12:18). Surely it is much more possible than some brethren seem willing to make it! In order to see clearly our duty in this matter, I would like to analyze verse three of Paul's plea for unity in Ephesians 4.

1. "Endeavoring" -- to be zealous; to be diligent. It speaks of a determined effort. That is, we must do our utmost in the pursuit of peace (Romans 14:19). Sometimes that means rising above the attitudes and actions of others. If others will quarrel with us, we must make every effort not to quarrel with them. If others will treat us spitefully, we must not treat them spitefully in return. How much effort do we put into unity?

2. "To keep the unity of the Spirit." The word "Spirit" here may refer to the human spirit, and carry the idea of disposition, being the spirit of humility and obedience to the word of God. It certainly means that Christians should be united in heart, and not be split up into factions and parties. False teachers sever unity in areas of faith -- breaking our oneness in doctrine (Ephesians 4:4-6). Some by immoral conduct block unity by their lives (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). What, however, is the justification for brethren of like precious faith and practice to blackball and condemn one another in areas of opinion or lesser offenses? And where are the attitudes of "lowliness, and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" that should prevail in such situations?

3. "In the bond of peace." Peace is a bond that unites people of different dispositions into a society of friendship and love. A peaceable temperament and conduct bind brethren together, whereas discord injects the poison of distrust and disunity into our relationships as brethren. Let's strive for unity and thrive on peace, not on discord!

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!

During my early years, I grew up closely associated with an uncle who was a gospel preacher. He was a remarkable man, one that you will seldom meet the likes of. He had a very limited education (7th or 8th grade, I believe) yet he was as knowledgeable of the Bible as any man I have ever known. Not only in what it said, but what it meant.

A family friend who had known this uncle all of his life, told me that Noah Holt, my uncle, was the only man he had ever known that never sowed any wild oats. He said that uncle Noah was a serious and sincere Christian from his early youth. I believe it, there are some people who give the appearance that living the Christian life requires no effort at all. They seem to be just naturally "good" and never make mistakes.

Of course, that is just as it appears to the naked eye. People like Uncle Noah just taught themselves to accept life. He was very poor (as was most of us), he had family problems that arose beyond his control, and he had numerous other things in his life that would tempt anyone. But he had disciplined himself to accept things he could not change and always to place God first in his life.

I am proud to have been a nephew of this man, and I have often thanked God for having lived in close communion with him. We attended services where he preached and he influenced my life (very early) with his preaching and even moreso, with his life. It was a sad day when I was asked to be a pallbearer at his funeral, but I could do it with a smile, knowing the fate of this loyal servant of God.

I have always wanted to follow in his tracks, and eventhough I have failed miserably to do that, I am convinced that just wanting to, has helped me a lot.

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

The regular speaker will be 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

"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." ---Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for a federal antismoking campaign.

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." -- Al Gore, former Vice President

May God bless His faithful children, wherever they are.--Joel

The Wolf and the Crane

A Wolf who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his mouth and draw out the bone. When the Crane had extracted the bone and demanded the promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: "Why, you have surely already had a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a wolf."

In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains....Aesop