“If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!”

As Paul closed His first letter to the Corinthians, he held nothing back. “Do you love Jesus or not?” “If you do not love Jesus, you will be accursed” – a thing devoted to destruction. (1 Cor. 16.22) While these words apply to all unbelievers, those within Paul’s audience were demonstrating their lack of love by fighting amongst themselves and living unholy lives. Thus, even believers who neglect to love Jesus as they should will suffer the same consequences as the unbeliever!

How, then, can I know if I love Jesus? Our Lord answers this: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14.15) Therefore, those who are not moved to obey the gospel do not love Him and deserve to be eternally cut off from the presence of the Lord.

As if Paul’s words were not direct enough, he stressed this coming curse by saying, “Our Lord, come!” Judgment is coming. Judgment will be executed. Fortunately, for those who love Jesus, grace will be with them (1 Cor. 16.23). Therefore, we must decide today where we will align ourselves. Will we be Jesus’ friend by our love for Him (John 15.14), or will we devote ourselves to destruction by choosing to become His enemy?

Contact us today if we can help you learn more about Christ. Call/text: 903.308.4905 or message us on Facebook.

Bryan Garlock

“…for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matt. 26.28, ESV)

In instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus told His disciples to divide amongst themselves the fruit of the vine which represented His blood which He shed on the cross for our sins. At this point, He had not yet voluntarily poured out His blood, but He explained to them that His blood would be “of the covenant” and “for the forgiveness of sins.”

By “of the covenant,” Jesus meant that His blood would enact the New Testament, or New Covenant, as the Old Covenant was to be done away with at the cross (Col. 2.14; Eph. 2.14-16, etc.). Therefore, we are to live in obedience to the covenant of Christ (His law) and no longer submit to the Law of Moses.

By “for the forgiveness of sins,” Jesus meant that His blood would be the cleansing power necessary to wash away our sins (cf. Rev. 1.5; 1 Peter 1.2, 18-19, etc.) and to purchase the church (Acts 20.28).

When do we have our sins washed away? Peter preached, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…” (Acts 2.38). Notice how baptism accomplishes exactly what Jesus’ blood would accomplish – forgiveness of sins. Consequently, when we are baptized into Christ (Rom. 6.3-4; Gal. 2.26-27; Eph. 5.26-27), we are washed in His cleansing blood. Ananias told Saul, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” (Acts 22.16)

While all men are accountable to the new covenant, not all men will experience forgiveness of sins. That is because the promise of forgiveness of sins is only found in obedience to the new covenant.

If you are interested in learning more about the New Covenant and forgiveness of sins, please contact us today. Call/text 903.308.4905 | E-mail | Message us on Facebook.

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.” (Act 2:36)

This statement by Peter to the multitude of Jews assembled on that Pentecost had a huge impact on them. Its significance is frequently lost on readers today.

God had made Jesus "both Lord and Christ". Just look at the number of times "Lord" is used in the Old Testament. These people understood that Jesus being made "Lord" meant He was indeed God. He was the Ruler, the leader, the Master. He was the fulfillment of all the prophecies on which their hopes were based.

And "Christ". This was the greek word for the Old Testament "Messiah", the Promised One of God, the Leader of God's people, the King of the Jews.

And they had killed Him! The Hope of Israel. The Promise of God. And their reply could only be, "What shall we do!"

Even though they had killed God's chosen and sent Son, hope remained. "Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:38-39

-Bill Brittenham

Can we help you obey the gospel? Contact Bryan Garlock today! Evangelist@txkchurch.com | Message us on Facebook | Call/text: 903.308.4905

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (Col. 1.13, ESV)

When we were sinners, we were walking in darkness (Eph. 2.1-3; John 8.12, etc.). However, Paul taught that when we obeyed the gospel we were transferred from the realm of darkness and sin to the Kingdom of Christ. This is consistent with Jesus’ teachings about building His church (Matt. 16.18). The church is simply the “called out”. The gospel calls us (2 Thess. 2.14) out of this dark world and out of sin and puts us in a wonderful place where righteousness and peace dwells. As citizens of this Kingdom we enjoy many benefits: fellowship with our Father who loves us and sustains us, providing for all our necessities, the privilege to boldly approach our loving and merciful King in prayer, an advocate, Jesus the righteous, who pleads for us when we transgress the King’s law (upon repentance and confession), an eternal home that has been prepared specifically for its citizens and a life full of comfort, peace, contentment, and joy, and free of sin, anxiety, strife, and misery. Why do people turn these wonderful provisions and promises down?

If you want to be a part of this Kingdom, obey the gospel today by “believing in God” and “believing God”! You believe in God by believing that He exists and you believe God by listening and obeying Him! God says to repent of your sins, confess faith in His Son, and be baptized in His Son’s name for the forgiveness of sins. Only then can you be transferred into His Son’s Kingdom! Let us help you today. E-mail Bryan Garlock | Message us on Facebook | Call/text: 903.308.4905

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3.15)

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The Bible tells us there is one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Eph. 4.5). He is to be the master and ruler of our lives. In fact, we are to empty our hearts of all things evil and sanctify Christ in our hearts, counting Him as Holy, filling our hearts with His word and love.

Those who accept Jesus as Lord have some obligations. If we believe that Jesus is the master of our lives, then we will believe that we are judged by His teachings. This will affect how we view the Scriptures and our obedience thereof.

For example, one who does not view Jesus as their Savior may still be in agreement with His teachings about murder or theft, etc.: “I would never do that!” However, for those of us who claim to be followers of Christ how do we respond to Jesus when He goes against everything we have ever believed? Our traditions? Our preconceived ideas? Or our desires?

The acid test of whether Jesus is Lord of our lives is when we obey God’s word even when it goes against what we want in this life. When Jesus says, “no,” do we still honor Him with our respect and obedience? Or do we elevate ourselves above God by creating a false God that will allow us to get away with the things we want to do?

We would love to study with you! E-mail Bryan Garlock, message us on Facebook, or text 903.308.4905.

*These thoughts are adapted from an article by Mark Dunugan.