This article is about encouraging the continued and growing practice of independent ministries throughout the Church of God and exposing the error of the corporate church model. This we will do by examining the independent ministries of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. It is an interesting investigation to look at what they did not do to avoid compromising their ministries, and what lessons we...
The following article should be read along with the article The Independent Ministries of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. That article exposed secular and sectarian behaviors of corporate and denominational churches that are contrary to the ministry examples and teachings of Jesus Christ. This article, A Monumental Mistake, takes the understanding further so that we can avoid making the same...
One of the most inspiring individuals who overcame affliction and realized redemption is Job. It has been argued that Job was self-righteous, although we should broaden our look at the story’s outcome so we can appreciate a greater lesson for us. I believe a broader view of this book will help give us a greater opportunity to properly interpret God’s intention with Job. There is one individual...
Our adversary the devil is tempting the Church to forsake its calling. He is using an old tactic used from the beginning with Adam and Eve and he is using it again to give us a false sense of wisdom with the knowledge of evil. Help protect yourself and the people you love by reading what follows in these pages. Increasingly, there has been in the Churches of God a gravitation to worldly...
..... The Complaints that Led to the Famed ScriptureI bang the drum with great regularity regarding bringing context to the scriptures. I sincerely believe that without the context around which the scriptures are comprised, we lose focus. Without context, we inevitably end up searching passages and trains of thought in the writings which may have little or nothing to do with the problem we went...
The apostle James has a special message for those who struggle in trials. If we embrace his message, we can live truly effective lives that are pleasing and useful to God, bring clarity to our minds in times of confusion, and have a deeper realization of what our standing in Christ really has to offer, which is a life of fullness. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials...
By Jim Patterson A number of years ago at the Feast of Tabernacles located at a small retreat in southern Ontario, a gentleman made a comment to me in which he lamented “ the Church of God is so scattered” as he shook his head in disappointment. I do understand his concern, and at that time my current thinking on the multitude of different churches was still developing. It was not until the last...
10/19/17 Dear brother in Christ: Greetings. My name is Stephen Karuga Kariuki, an elder in an independent, small congregation in Kenya called Sabbatarian Church of God. We joined the independent movement through the inspiration of independent brethren such as Church Of God Big Sandy, the late Ray Wooten, and our dear friend Dennis Mouland, etc. We broke away from the Armstrongism hierarchical...
By Richard Traver www.goldensheaves.org In the Modern Era, much has been tried to show how churches are best governed. History has proven that the Best Intentioned Ideas of MEN are Dysfunctional when compared to the Practical early New Testament Church.“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” These are the well-known and oft quoted opening words of the...
By Jim Patterson SVM Winter 2018 Jesus Christ well recognized that many would make their claim on Him. The sensitive reader may detect that the word “claim” is being used here in the not so positive sense of the word. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? (Luke 6:46). This question seems to capture a chronic problem in Christ’s relationship with human kind....