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It takes years to study and learn the doctrines of the Bible. Here we will give a sample of the teachings that many people do not know or understand. Join our bible study where topics such as listed below are discussed in great detail. If you have questions or concerns, please call the pastor.
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[Click on statement to see more information]
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To contact the pastor, call Midland, MI 989-839-1031
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Jesus Christ is the only Way to heaven - those who reject Him go to hell.
Many people have the idea that all religions are basically the same and they are simply different roads to get to God and heaven. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus Christ, Who is God, Lord and Savior, tells us in the Holy Bible, His Holy Word: John 3:36. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.” and John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ ” Any person, church, or religion that rejects Jesus Christ as God and the only Lord and Savior of all people will be thrown into the everlasting fires of hell. Muslims, Jews who practice Judaism , Jehovah Witness, Mormons and the like all reject to believe that Jesus Christ is God and LORD and Savior and are on their way to hell.
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There are, and always have been, only two religions – Christianity and all the others.
Many people think that all religions are simply different ways to God. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Holy Bible tells us that there is only one God; He is Jehovah, the Triune God – three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), yet one God;
Mark 12:32 “…for there is one God; and there is none other but He …”
Matt 28:19 “…in the name [notice name is singular] of the Father, and of the Son [Jesus Christ], and of the Holy Ghost …”
The only true living God is Jehovah, the Triune God, the Holy Trinity. Those who do not acknowledge and worship Him only, are worshipping idols and demons. Only Christianity acknowledges the Holy Trinity and worships the true God:
Jews who practice Judaism claim to worship Jehovah; Muslims worship Allah; the Indians worship the Great Spirit; Buddhists and Hindus have many gods; even Jehovah Witness, Mormons, Unitarians, and Christian Scientists claim to worship the God of the Holy Bible. Yet all of these religions reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God; they reject the Holy Trinity. Thus they are not worshipping the true God but idols and demons.
John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.”
Only the Holy Bible of the Christians reveals to all people the true living God [Jehovah, the Triune God] and His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ Who died on the cross, rose three days later and opened the gates of heaven to those who trust and believe in Him as Lord and Savior. All other religions teach people that, because man sinned, he must make amends and appease the wrath of God by doing good works, which is impossible.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith [in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior]--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Those who trust and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are called Christians and practice Christianity; to these Jesus says, “For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40
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The Christian Holy Bible is the only true Word of God
Until “globalization” brought other world religions into America’s view, until 50 or so years ago, the Holy Bible was the only holy book with which most Americans were familiar. But today in the 21st century, Americans are bombarded with many other world religions, each one claiming to be the true religion and claiming its “holy book” is the true and right one. The Koran of the Muslims [Islam] is the work of Muhammed; the Analects of the Chinese is the work of Confucius; the Zend-Avesta of the Parsees is the work of Zarathustra; the Tripitaka of the Buddhists and the Bhagavad Gita and Veda of the Hindus also claim human authors; but only the Christian Holy Bible claims the true living God Jehovah as its Author:
I Peter 1:21 “…holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
II Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”
All holy books except the Holy Bible are basically instruction guides trying to show man the way he can make himself right with a supreme being by being good or doing good works so he can live eternally in paradise. The Holy Bible is the only holy book that reveals a loving and just God Who sent His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ to be born of a virgin and live the perfect life man supposed to live, to suffer and die for the sins of all men, and to rise from the dead to open heaven to all who believe and trust in Him as their Lord and Savior. God in the Holy Bible reveals that man cannot work his way to paradise, but salvation is a free gift from God apprehended by faith in Jesus Christ.
Examine this miraculous book called the Holy Bible. It is a library of 66 different books written by more than thirty men of greatly different cultures and professions over a period of 1600 years. Thinking on these facts, we would expect chaos as the outcome. Yet on the contrary, we find a marvelous unity of design, a harmony of statements, and an order of growth. This library of 66 books has become to be regarded, and rightly so, as one book – the Bible, the Book. William Dallman, in his book “Why Do I Believe The Bible Is God’s Word”, summarizes it thusly:
Many writers in many ages, in many lands, wrote many books, of many kinds, of many sizes; but when put together, they fit perfectly and form the dark and lost world's beacon: “The Light Liberating the World.” Is this the result of chance? Foolish the thought! Or of fraud? Absurd! Neither fiction nor fortuity can account for it. Among the writers there could have been no collusion; among the writings there has been no collision. Dr. Adam Clarke truly says: "A good man could not have written the Bible, and a bad man would not have written it." Another says: "Man couldn't have written the Bible if he would and wouldn't have written it if he could." How, then, do we account for it? “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” II Peter 1: 21. God was the Architect planning the temple and superintending the construction to its glorious completion; God was the Artist blending the various colors into one sublime panorama; God was the Master touching the various instruments and producing this divine symphony; God was the Mind directing His people to write and to speak, “…not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth…” I Corinthians 2:13; and the Bible is the Word of God.
Another evidence that clearly shows the Bible is truly God’s Word is seen in the detailed prophecies contained within its pages; an astonishing 668 prophecies have been fulfilled and none have ever been proven false. Unlike the prophecies found in other religious books or those done by Nostradamus, the biblical prophecies are extremely detailed and have never failed to come true. There are over three hundred prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament alone. Not only was it foretold where He would be born and what family He would come from, but also how He would die and that He would rise again on the third day. There simply is no logical way to explain the fulfilled prophecies in the Bible other than by divine origin. There is no other religious book with the extent or type of predictive prophecy of the Bible.
More proofs can be purported but we will end on this note – this miraculous Book, mainly because of its importance and its claim to be the very word of God, has suffered more vicious attacks and attempts to destroy it than any other book in history. Yet the Bible is still here and God promises it will always be here for the world. Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Mark 13:31).
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The Ten Commandments of the Holy Bible are for all people of all times.
There is a Supreme Being – God Jehovah, the Triune God – and the Holy Bible is His Word to all mankind. This is true whether or not people believe it. Those, who trust God and His promises, who believe Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior will spend eternity in heaven with God; those who reject Jesus will be thrown into the eternal fires of hell. It is this same God that gave us the Ten Commandments.
There are people who have never read the Bible; thereby they never read the Ten Commandments. Yet even they have no excuse because God wrote the law into man’s heart, (Romans 2:14-15) “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts…”. Even thought because of sin, this knowledge is sadly greatly blurred, yet all men have a conscience that tells them right from wrong. Naturally the conscience of those who read the Bible can distinguish more clearly God’s wishes, but do they heed the warning from their conscience. There are others who have read and know the Ten Commandments but think that they no longer apply to the “modern” world. Even some Christians think that the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ fulfilled man’s obligation to obey these Commandments. But read what Jesus says,
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19)
God never changes and always keeps His promises. 3500 years ago He gave the Ten Commandments to mankind to serve as a check on sinful man and make it possible for men to live together and treat each other in a god-pleasing manner. God expected these commandments to be heeded then, and He expects them to be heeded today and in the future. For the Christian, since he is saved by faith in Christ Jesus as his Lord and Savior, the Ten Commandments give him a way to glorify and please God and allows him to live the best possible life on earth that he can. God gave these commandments for a threefold purpose: to check to some extent the course outbursts of sin and help keep order in the world; to act as mirror showing man his sins against God; and to guide the Christian in leading a god-pleasing life.
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No holiday is equal to Christmas and Easter.
These two most important Christian festivals, Christmas and Easter, have been greatly distorted by commercialism and confusion and misunderstanding. Christmas is seen as that time of year when a man in a red suit riding in a sled pulled by flying reindeer gives presents to the world’s children. Easter is depicted as a rabbit delivering eggs. Because of negligence, these two most holy festivals have been reduced to nothing more than money making.
To make matters even worse, misinformed and lax Christians along with the pagan worldly society have are now trying to reduce these two holy festivals to the level of pagan holidays such as Ramadan, Quanza, Hanukkah, and the like.
Ramadan is a Muslim religious holiday believed to be the month in which the Qur'an began to be revealed. The name "Ramadan" is taken from the name of this month; the word itself derived from an Arabic word for intense heat, scorched ground, and shortness of rations. It is considered the most venerated and blessed month of the Islamic year
Kwanzaa is a week-long festival celebrated primarily in the United States, honoring African-American heritage. It consists of seven days of celebration, featuring activities such as candle-lighting and pouring of libations, and culminating in a feast and gift giving.
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the Menorah or Hanukiah, one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night
How can any Christian allow these “holidays” to be regarded as equal to Christmas which is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ – the incarnate Son of God – and Easter which is the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Certainly other people can celebrate any holiday they wish but America claims to be a Christian nation so Americans should revere and consider only Christmas and Easter as American holidays.
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Only faith can get you into heaven
Only the Holy Bible of the Christians reveals to all people the true living God [Jehovah, the Triune God] and His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ Who died on the cross, rose three days later and opened the gates of heaven to those who trust and believe in Him as Lord and Savior. All other religions teach people that, because man sinned, he must make amends and appease the wrath of God by doing good works, which is impossible.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith [in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior]--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Those who trust and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are called Christians and practice Christianity; to these Jesus says “For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40
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One cannot believe both evolution and creation – it’s either one or the other.
The theory of Evolution which originated with Darwin is the only origin of earth and universe that is taught in all American public schools and supported by public broadcasting television. This untrue theory claims that all things began from extremely dense matter smaller than an atom that exploded [the Big Bang] creating stars and gasses which cooled over millions of years to make our planets and other heavenly bodies. Eventually our earth cooled to habitable temperature allowing chemicals to spawn a “living slime” which evolved into one-celled animals which evolved into fish of which some evolved into birds of which some evolved into animals of which some evolved into humans.
God in the Holy Bible reveals to mankind the truth about the beginning of all things [Biblical Creationism]. God tells us that He spoke and created the earth and universe out of nothing in six 24-hour days. He created man from a clod of dirt and breathed life into him; and from one of man’s ribs, he created woman as man’s helpmeet. Furthermore God created man in His image with an immortal soul for His own purpose.
Evolution contends that all things came into existence over millions of years and man evolved from an organic slime by pure chance for no purpose. Biblical creationism professes God spoke the world and universe into existence in six days and created man for a purpose, and the age of earth and the universe is not over 4000 to 15000 years old. In the order of creation, Evolution claims first the universe and stars, then millions of years later the earth, and then millions of years more all life – first fish, then birds from fish, then animals, and finally man from monkeys. The Bible enlightens us that God made the earth and universe at the same time; on the 3rd day land, seas, and vegetation; on the 4th day the sun, moon, and stars [notice the stars were made after the earth]; on the 5th day fish and birds at the same time; and on the 6th day animals and man from dust. Evolution claims each of the species evolved, from the very simple one-celled to the most complex over millions of years. The Bible shows us that all life was made in two days of 24 hours each, with each of the species – plants, fish, and animals - being made “… AFTER HIS KIND …” (Genesis 1:25). Finally the Bible tells us that God also made another type of being that evolutionists will never admit; those beings are angels who God created to serve Him and protect men.
The choice is this. Either you believe the scientists who dreamed up this false theory of evolution, or you believe God Who made all things including the Bible where you learn the truth. You cannot believe both since they contradict each other.
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Prayer is worshipping and speaking to God.
In the Lutheran Small Catechism we read: Prayer is an act of worship wherein we bring our petitions before God with our hearts and lips and offer praise and thanksgiving to Him. To pray means to commune, to talk, with God. In prayer we make known to God our wants and needs, our griefs and sorrows, and ask Him for help, but we also praise and thank Him for what He has done for us. Prayer is an act of worship, because thereby we recognize and honor God as our Helper in every need.
We need to keep in mind that God knows everything so we are not telling Him our needs because He doesn’t know, but we speak to Him so we will know He is the One Who has either granted our prayer or not granted it because our request was not good for us. Some think that prayer is a magical channel through which God can send blessings to someone, but prayer is simply created man speaking to Creator God.
Furthermore God only hears the prayers true Christian believers, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2) Only those who have been cleansed of their sins by the blood of Jesus Christ through faith in Him as their Lord and Savior are the children of God, and only theirs are the prayers He hears. Those who reject Jesus are not heard by God.
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