Thought for the week

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrew 11: 1). Having knowledge of the gospel truths; and having an intellectual acceptance of those truths are not enough to bring us into saving union with Christ. Having…

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you.  Do not be dismayed/discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”  Isaiah 41: 10 One of the great sources of fulfillment as a father is when…

“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this…

“Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”   Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will…

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he…

Article 23; Of Ministering in the Congregation: it is not lawful for any man to take upon him the office of public preaching, or ministering the Sacraments in the congregation, before he be lawfully called, and sent to execute the same. And those we ought to judge lawfully called and…

A “witness” is someone who attests to a fact, so in order to be an effective witness for Christ, one must have first-hand knowledge of Him. John the Apostle speaks of this in I John 1: 1-3 when he says “That... which we have seen with our eyes, which we…

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as…

“A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was…

ARTICLES 19-22: THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH – THE CHURCH “The Visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacrament be duly ministered according to Christ’s ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the…

“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the first born of his flock and of their fat.  And the Lord respected Abel’s offering but He did not respect Cain and…

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10 Living to please God is like “living right”, a term…

“Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”  (Rom. 5:1). One of the beautiful truths about God’s Kingdom is that everything along our walk has a purpose. We begin our Christian life in faith. And just as we begin our life in…

“And Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean (four footed) animal and every clean fowl or bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.  When the Lord smelt the pleasing odor (a scent of satisfaction to His heart) the Lord said to Himself, I will…

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us…

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days”.  (Joel 2:28 -29)  …

“A woman, when she is in labour, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I…

And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. (Genesis 8:21) The…

"However when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak of His own authority but whatever He hears, He will speak and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify me, for He will take of what…

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He existed in the beginning with God.  God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, …(John 1:1-4). “I Am the Resurrection…

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days”.  (Joel 2:28 -29) “……..Do…