“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4.4-6, ESV)

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It is obvious that we live in a religiously divided society. A quick drive down the road shows the multiplicity of churches and religions. Whatever you like, you can be sure there’s a church that is willing to accommodate. However, was this ever God's will or did He desire something else?

Paul shows us that we are to be united. By laying out the platform for unity, we are not left to wonder how we are to maintain unity. It is by our respect for the seven “one’s” that we can truly enjoy the unity God has provided in Christ.

1. One Body – There is only one church which Christ will save, that is, His church, the church (body) of Christ.: Eph. 1.21-22; 5.23; Acts 20.28; Rom. 16.16
2. One Spirit – There is one spirit that has revealed one revelation (or standard) and one plan of salvation for all of mankind to follow (Eph. 3.3-4; 2 Peter 1.3-4). Since the Holy Spirit guided the apostles into all truth (John 16.13) and since they wrote down the truth for our learning, then there are no more revelations or truth to reveal (Jude 3). Anyone who claims extra-biblical revelations stands in direct opposition to the one Spirit.
3. One Hope –  Those who are God’s children can hope (not wishful thinking, but an expectation) in heaven and eternal life (1 Peter 1.3-4).
4. One Lord – There are no other masters to be served. Jesus is the one and only with all authority and power. It is only through Him that we can be saved, no one else (John 14.6; Acts 4.12).
5. One Faith – Not many faiths (as the religious world tells us there are), but only one (Jude 3). Just as there is one gospel, there is one faith! Will you be obedient to the one faith (see Acts 6.7)?
6. One Baptism – Paul says there is only one baptism. Therefore, if there is water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism today, then we have one too many baptisms. Thus, the one baptism is water baptism in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. It is the only baptism commanded in Scripture (Matt. 28.18-20; Mark 16.15-16; Acts 2.38; 8.16; 10.47-48; 22.16; Rom. 6.1ff; Gal. 3.26-27, etc.). Note: Holy Spirit baptism is not for us today, but was only for the apostles (John 14-16). Additionally, baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” is, and has always been, water baptism (see Acts 2.38, etc.).
7. One God and Father – There is only one true and living God; all other gods are false, man-made “spiritual beings” or crafted from wood or stone, and created in the mind of man. God was not created, but is eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, over all, and everywhere present, and He wants to be your Father! He wants to love you and shower you with blessings!

Can we help you to be united with God first and foremost, and then to God’s children? Contact us today: E-mail | Message us on Facebook | Call/text: 903.308.4905

“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” (Ephesians 4.28, ESV)¹

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¹God has always been against theft. In fact, one of the ten commandments given by God was “you shall not steal” (Exodus 20.15, ESV). One of the reasons God hates stealing is because when we develop an evil desire for something earthly we replace God with that person or thing. Hence Jesus taught, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7.21-23, ESV). Notice that theft begins in the heart; ultimately taking the place of where God’s love and word is to reside.

Further, stealing is a result of covetousness; that is, “having or showing a great desire to possess something, typically something belonging to someone else”. When Satan knows that we desire possessions beyond what God has blessed us with, he will tempt us in many ways to gain those possessions. This is why God calls us to be content with what we have (1 Tim. 6.8) and to lay our treasures in heaven and not on earth where, interestingly, thieves break in and steal (Matt. 6.19-20)!

Finally, when we steal we do not love our neighbor (Rom. 13.9). Instead, God calls us to love our neighbor and to share with anyone in need.

There were Christians in Bible times who stole, though many repented (Rom. 2.21; Eph. 4.28; 1 Cor. 6.9-11), and unfortunately there will be Christians who steal today. Let us heed the warnings of Scripture because “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5.2). We must always be prepared for the return of our Lord!

If you’re interested in learning more about God’s will and if you need help overcoming covetousness and the love of possessions and money so you can stop the sin of stealing, e-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905.

“giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5.20, ESV)¹

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¹There are four things Paul wants us to do:

1. Give thanks always. Paul says elsewhere that we are to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5.17). This should be done in the morning, throughout the day, and at night. Oftentimes we go to God in prayer during the bad times. However, prayer should constantly be on our mind!

2. For everything. And when Paul says “everything” he really means it! Whether good or bad, we need to be thankful for a God that blesses us abundantly. While there may be times “when the going gets tough”, we still have things to be thankful for. Paul once spent time in prayer to God while sitting in prison (Acts 16.25). That is a pretty low position to be in and yet Paul praised God!

3. To God the Father. While there are several reasons why we pray to God our Father, one such reason is because He is the giver of all good gifts. James wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” (James 1.17). No wonder we are to be thankful!

4. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is the intercessor by which we approach our Father (Heb. 7.25, etc.). Paul taught, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3.17, ESV).

If you’re interested in learning more about prayer and God’s blessings, e-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3.16, ESV)¹

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¹The Bible teaches us in Colossians chapter three to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. In a parallel verse, the Bible says, “speaking [addressing, ESV] to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5.19, NKJV).

Notice that God wants us to sing (see also Matt. 26.30; Acts 16.25; James 5.13, etc.). Further, He wants us to teach while singing. While some songs are designed to praise God, other songs are designed to encourage us to obey the gospel or to remain faithful. This can only be done through A cappella music, for no mechanical instrument ever taught any man the gospel.

Since God wants us to sing, the melody is to be made in our hearts. While melody can certainly be made mechanically, the melody that pleases our Father and is commanded by Him is the melody produced in the heart and from the fruit of our lips.

If you’re interested in learning more about singing and praising God according to His word, e-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905. Also, you’re welcome to come to our gospel singing tonight (March 31st, 2017) at 7pm.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5.15-16, ESV)¹

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¹Time is one of the most precious things in this life. One reason for this is because every second that goes by is another second that we cannot get back and another second closer to our death. Here’s a scary thought: the second we are born we begin to die!

A quick internet search will show that we watch an average of 5 hours of television a day while browsing our social media accounts for an average of 1 hour and 40 minutes and consuming food and drink for nearly 1 hour and 8 minutes. This does not include sleep, work, commute times, shopping, sports, school, cooking, cleaning, reading, exercising, playing games, or even going to the bathroom! Simply put, we spend a lot of time doing several things in this life.

However, in all that we do, are we making the best use of our time? There is nothing necessarily wrong in the stated activities above, but one could argue that it becomes wrong when these things either consume all our time or are placed before the time necessary to serve God.

In fact, as Christians all our time belongs to God! What does that say about the things we do? Again, while watching television or playing sports is not sinful in and of itself, they become sinful when these things compete with God’s time (our service to Him and others). When this happens, God is no longer first in our lives, but placed on the “back burner.”

On the flip side, what happens when we fill our lives with sinful things? Since the two (sin and God) cannot co-exist in one’s life, we must choose what remains consistent. In other words, which master will we serve, sin or God? (Matt. 6.24, 33; Rom. 6.16-18, etc.)

Let us not fill our lives with innocent or sinful activities that simply distract us from giving our time to God. If you’re interested in learning how to walk wisely before God, e-mail Bryan Garlock or text 903.308.4905.