DISCIPLE

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: True Obedience by A. W. Toze r “As you think of this story (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace), keep in mind that their obedience to God was what got them in trouble in the first place....True obedience is the refusal to compromise in any regard our relationship with God, regardless of the consequences. “As long as you believe in God as millions of Americans do today, and do not make Him the number one exclusive priority in your life, the devil has no issue with you. The evangelical church today is following the course of the liberal movement and going down the same pathway of compromise. One compromise here, another compromise there, and soon there is very little, if any, difference between the so-called Christian and the man in the world. “True obedience, as illustrated in the story of the three Hebrew children, always brings us to a point of no return.  This is where faith comes in. We do not have to understan...

Getting your way is not a sign of being in God's will. Consider Jonah, Balaam, and others. Scripture employs examples from history, precepts and exhortations to impress upon us the importance of walking in God's will and not being deceived by self-will. Consider this quote from Keith Green in an article about Balaam and self-will. “Let's put this in a modern setting. Someone asks Suzy out on a date, but her mom says, “No, I don't think he has enough character for you,” or something like that. Now there are two ways Suzy can respond to this fellow. “Well, I asked my mom, and she pointed out some really good reasons why I shouldn't go. She doesn't feel that this is a right relationship, and I trust her, and I really believe I'm supposed to obey her.” Or, “Boy, I'd really like to go, but my mother just won't let me!”  If she uses method number two, all she does is encourage this guy to find a way to get her to disobey her mom. If someone knows tha...

David Dunlap's excellent monthly newsletter articles are listed and accessible at this site: http://peter.sff.home.insightbb.com/newsletters.htm - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  by David Dunlap       Christians have debated for many years the issue of membership in the local church. Some churches have taught that, unless a Christian is a church member, he cannot partake at the Lord's Supper, be married in the church, or be involved in ministries of the church. Some have gone so far as to refuse to recognize baptism from other evangelical fellowships and insist on re-baptism. (1)    What does the Bible say about fellowship in the local church? What is "Reception"?        Many churches talk about "joining a church", but the language the Bible uses for fellowship in the local church is not "join" but "receive". We read in the New Testament: "Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have de...