LET US REMEMBER IN PRAYER
Danny Douglas
God's
word informs us that we as Christians are to pray for others: “...pray one
for another...” (James
Gospel Preachers
With
compromise on the rise, life is becoming increasingly difficult for men
determined to stand for the truth. Men
who once stood for the truth but do so no longer, are posing great problems for
the faithful. Faithful young preachers,
starting out today, face more division and acceptance of false doctrine among
brethren than we did thirty years ago. Although
there were problems back then, there was not the division and widespread compromise
that exists today. There are more
"respected" brethren involved with error today than back then. When it comes to preaching and practicing the
truth, many congregations today simply "will
not endure sound doctrine" (cf. 2 Timothy 4:1-4). Due to
this, we would encourage preachers to be trained in an area wherein they can
"make tents" so that they will not be dependent upon the church for
their total income. No doubt, within the next decade many new congregations
will need to be started to take up the banner of truth, and many sound
congregations will not be able to support a full-time salary. Indeed, a new generation of preachers needs to
be raised up to fill the void of men no longer worthy of the appellation
"gospel
preacher." By
sound preaching and godly living, the faithful man of God will be pleasing unto
his LORD, even if to no one else. Paul
charged Timothy: "Take heed unto
thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt
both save thyself, and them that hear thee" (1 Timothy
Those
who will not stand behind faithful brethren are like the city of
Godly Elders
Faithful
elders may very well constitute the greatest scarcity in the church today. Men who have a pure
love for the truth, the church, for Christ, and the souls of mankind, are much
needed and few in number. A good elder
will give up ease in his retirement days and many pleasure travels for the
Cause of Christ. He is one who is willing to endure insults, criticisms,
headaches, and heartaches, for doing the right. It also takes a sacrificial wife to be a good
elder's wife. The eldership is basically
responsible for feeding, leading, tending, and overseeing the flock of God in
the way that the chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ, would have it done (cf. 1 Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:17; Acts 20:28).
This includes defending the flock
against worldliness and false teaching. Therefore,
elders must be willing and able to hold fast: "the
faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be
able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers"
(Titus 1:9). To underscore the great ness of this
responsibility, consider Paul's charge to the Ephesian elders: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves,
and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to
feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood"
(Acts
The church of Christ
“I love Thy
kingdom, Lord, The house of Thine abode; The church
our blest Re deemer saved With His own precious
blood, I love Thy church, 0 God!
Her walls before Thee stand, Dear as the apple of Thine eye, And
graven on Thy hand. For her my tears shall fall, For her my prayers ascend; To her my
cares and toils be giv'n, Till
toils and cares shall end ... (Timothy Dwight, "I Love Thy Kingdom,
Lord"). Can we honestly say that we
have given our selves to that which many people hate, the church? The Lord warned His disciples that the world
would hate them, because the world hated Him (cf. John