Daily Reading

God's Wonderful Painting

Daily Reading

Look at the Smiles (Wonderful)

Daily Reading

I have set my title to link to Truth for the World, and e-Sword bible. The Truth for the World has some of the best writing you can find on the Bible. It is true to the word. All you have to do is check bible and you will see. I have also linked E-sword so you can down load bible. This is a free down load. http://www.tftw.org/ http://www.e-sword.net/ Check them out.

Daily Reading

Paul wrote to Titus: “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (Titus 1:5). The Lord told John to write letters to each of the seven churches in the Roman province of Asia (Revelation, chapters 2 and 3). The church at Jerusalem had its own elders (Acts 15:4). The church in Ephesus had its own elders (Acts 20:17). The church at Philippi had its own elders too (Philippians 1:1).

Daily Reading

It is easy to see that God’s plan for His church was for each church in each place to be self-governing. When Paul and Barnabas returned from their first missionary journey, they again visited the churches they had established. They “appointed elders in every church” (Acts 14:23). Every church had its own eldership. When Paul wrote to the church of Christ in Philippi, he addressed his letter to “the saints who are in Philippi with the bishops (elders) and deacons” (Philippians 1:1). The apostle Peter commanded elders to “shepherd the flock of God which is among you” (1 Peter 5:2). They were not to feed other flocks, but they were to shepherd the flock which was among them. This is the local congregation where they were members.

Daily Reading

Churches of Christ are autonomous in government. Each one is independent of all others. Each one has its own leadership. We read in the New Testament of churches in a district such as “the churches of Galatia” (Galatians 1:2). However, there was no district organization. Each of the churches in Galatia was self-governing.

Daily Reading

The word “church” is never used in the Bible in a denominational sense. A denomination, by its own claims, is not the universal church. Most denominations claim to be a part of the universal church along with all the other denominations. Therefore, a denomination is smaller than the universal church. But most denominations are made up of many congregations. Therefore, a denomination is larger than the local church. An organization smaller than the universal church but larger than the local church is not found in the Word of God! Denominations were established by men. They exist without the blessing of God for they are completely unknown in God’s Word!

Daily Reading

Second, the word “church” is used in the local sense. When Paul addressed the First Corinthian letter to “the church of God which is at Corinth,” he was speaking to a group of Christians in Corinth who met together to worship and serve God (1 Corinthians 1:2). The universal church is made up of all the local congregations everywhere. Paul referred to this when he said: “The churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16).

Daily Reading

The word “church” is used in the New Testament in only two senses. First, it refers to the called out people of Christ in all the world. This is the universal sense. When Jesus promised in Matthew 16:18: “Upon this rock, I will build My church,” He was including all believers in all the world in His church. Thus, He was speaking of the universal church.

Daily Reading

THE AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
The meaning of “autonomy” is independent or self-governing. The church we read about in the New Testament is made up of autonomous congregations. The word “church” means “the called out.” It is used to describe God’s people who have been called by the Gospel ( 2 Thessalonians 2:14). They have been called out of the world and into the service of Christ.