First Apostolic Church

Considering the necessity of the having the Holy Ghost.

Pharaoh was concerned when the children of Israel paused for a moment from their burdens to consider deliverance. When they paused... when they were not preoccupied with their burdens, they focused on worshipping and sacrificing to God. Pharaoh's long success against the Israelites was due to keeping them preoccupied with their burdens. We must be engrossed with the right things. Otherwise, they w...

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We Offend All - Part 5: James said, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man..." Therefore, I am convinced that we offend more with our words than we do with our actions. This lesson provides some help for not becoming the offender.

An overview of the past 100 years is a segment of history littered with change. This climate may induce boredom with those things that stay the same. One important trait of Jesus Christ is that he stays the same. The very characteristic that may persuade some to disconnect is also the dependable anchor that we all value at uncertain times.

Failure is an inevitable part of life. Though it may be certain it does not have to be fatal.

We Offend All - Part 4: We acknowledge the sovereignty of God when we admit that God can change our circumstances. But we hold that same sovereignty aloof when we ridicule Him for allowing something perceived negative to take place. Among being offended at people and churches, we also have been offended at God. We have been offended because we thought He was absent, sever, merciful, or simply late...

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The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament. Jesus was given a name above every name. And in him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

God not only sets the boundaries on our lives but he also sets the boundaries on the items that might enter our lives. For instance, how long can weeping stay? How long will God be angry? The answer to these and others are set by God.

We must be aware of how much is being placed on us. Circumstances and situations have a tendency to become overwhelming. But we have the power to say when enough is enough. Just say, "When!"

We Offend All - Part 3: We cannot choose what happens to us but we can choose how we will respond to what happens to us. We should value our relationships more than we value being right. A focus on offenses and churches reveals if a person will stick with an assembly through thick and thin they have the possibility of being fruitful in their old age. It takes time for a harvest. A harvest is diffi...

Waiting in scripture should not be interpreted as we do nothing but continue in our efforts. Waiting on the Lord is a waiting with a certain end.

What we do on the earth can have great impact in hell. Our worship here can directly affect the atmosphere there. We can shake hell with our participation in spiritual things on the earth.

We Offend All - Part 2: Though offenses will come we still have a choice whether to be offended. To avoid it is to render offense ineffective. It takes work. Love can help us serve one another in spite of offenses. The greatest testament of the church isn't "it doesn't have any problems" but that "it continues to love through the problems."

In Solomon's reflection he relays how he was almost in all evil right in the middle of church. This can happen by progression. Familiarity gives way to boredom. Boredom according to a notable doctor gives way to our conscience going to sleep. Therefore, we have no scruples for what we do or don't do even right in the middle of church.

One aspect the church is responsible for is evangelizing the world. If she forbears to deliver, God will render to her according to her works. God often times incorporates his body in this notable venture but those sought after many times don't understand deliverance. Or they don't understand how we are an aid in that. We must go to the masses because they may not come to us.

We Offend All Series - Part 1: Though James was speaking specifically to leaders that encompasses all of us to a certain degree. We all lead something. Furthermore, James finally encircled "any man". One thing is certain that he shared "in MANY things WE offend ALL". This may burden us or relieve us. Either way it relates a common thread for humanity.

A quick overview of "Baptism - Part 1" brings us to speed in this lesson. Here we will consider this idea of immersion further and the concept of calling the name of Jesus over someone. This placement of a name upon a thing, place, or person denoted ownership, redemption, and particularly God's presence.

Emphasis is placed on what the mode of baptism was during the first century. And consideration is given to how today's church should still be built upon the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone.

Though Lazarus has no recorded spoken word in scripture, his life's witness helps draw a crowd at the house in Bethany. Plainly the people did not come for Jesus' sake only but also to see Lazarus. Our lives may be a drawing card to an outsider. We better not undervalue our contribution to the church because the multitudes are looking for Jesus and a witness.

An oddity appears in the story of the demoniac of Gadara. The people of that area wants Jesus to depart after they learned about the radical change in the demoniac. They were content with their mode of life. The hardest things for us to leave or depart from are the things we grow content with without God. But there is no gain in contentment if God isn't involved.

Going to church isn't just summed up in entering and leaving but what we do in between. We enter to worship and that changes us insomuch that we can't return and go forth the same way we came.

If scripture ever describes God to us as remembering, it isn't because he has forgotten. He plainly told us in Isaiah that he would not forget. If God remembers, it is in the sense that is going to take action on His promises. Zechariah's ancestry described in the first verse of the first chapter voiced that... whom the Lord remembers, the Lord blesses, in His appointed time.

Jesus made a call to Lazarus, the dead. However, there had to be a response. There still needs to be a response when God calls to the deteriorated and dead things in our lives.