Should I buy clients alcoholic drinks through a business expense account?

My business expects me to entertain clients for meals. At times they order alcoholic drinks. I feel as though I am paying for this although it comes out of an expense account. What should I do?

As a representative of your employer, you cannot dictate what a person may order from the menu in a restaurant unless your employer has made limitations. Your abstinence and your manner of conduct can often open an opportunity to explain why you do not take alcoholic beverages. Your paying - as a representative of your employer - is not an indication that you condone the practice. If, however, your work requires you to take clients out for the express purpose of visiting bars, clubs, or places of entertainment characterized by drinking or betting, you would be well advised to request to be relieved of this responsibility or to look for another job. You cannot maintain a clear testimony with this practice. "Let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that I they be not unfruitful" (Titus 3:14)." TARGET="_blank">Titus 3:14).

W. Oliver

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Can people in heaven see us? What do people in heaven do?

What does the Bible teach about the present condition awareness, and occupation of believers who have died?

Although the Bible does not take up this subject in detail, we can draw a number of conclusions:

   1. Believers in heaven are very happy (Revelation 14:13)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 14:13).
   2. They are with Christ, beholding the One who loved them and gave Himself for them; they are far better off in such a wonderful place (Philippians 1:21, 23)." TARGET="_blank">Philippians 1:21, 23). They no longer have the flesh and the trial of suffering that so troubled them on earth (Romans 7:24," TARGET="_blank">Romans 7:24, 25a).
   3. They rest from their labors until the Rapture when they receive glorified bodies in which they will commence their eternal service for God (Revelation 14:13; 22:3, 4)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 14:13; 22:3, 4).
   4. They recognize others and converse with one another (Luke 13:28;" TARGET="_blank">Luke 13:28; Matthew 17:4;" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 17:4; Luke 16:24)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 16:24).

A. Joyce

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What is the main thrust of Matthew 18?

What is the main thrust of this passage?

"For" at the beginning of verse 20 indicates that this verse provides the reason for the previous teaching.

How does the Lord provide for the protection of His "little ones?" Is there a place where righteousness reigns? What authority does it have? How will it be able to make right decisions?

The church (v. 17) is the place where His own find ultimate protection. There they can be preserved, corrected, and restored to Him (vv. 15-17). The church is to be a place of impartiality where justice prevails. It has divine authority (v. 18). Obeying His infallible Word and humbly depending on God for guidance (v. 19), it carries out God's will.

The reason for this is because He dwells there ("there am I"). This is not merely stating that He is present when believers are together. The church (v.17) has the character of the House of God (1Ti 3:15)." TARGET="_blank">1Ti 3:15). This is the place of His administration, the "gate of heaven" (Gen 28:17)." TARGET="_blank">Gen 28:17). Here heaven and earth are united in carrying out the will of God (Mat 6:10; 18:18)." TARGET="_blank">Mat 6:10; 18:18). When the King reigns on earth, He will be the One in Whom this administration centers (John 1:51)." TARGET="_blank">John 1:51). Anticipating that, He administers through His own, by His Word, on behalf of His own where two or three are gathered to His name. Here He protects His own and maintains heaven's righteous standard.

This verse is a powerful statement, giving God's view of an assembly.

D. Oliver
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What is Ash Wednesday?

What is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday, also known as the “Day of Ashes” is the first day of the season of Lent. It occurs 46 days before Easter. Ash Wednesday and Lent are extra-Biblical holidays, meaning that they are based on traditions from centuries past, but are not mentioned in the Bible. Lent is often associated with Catholic, Orthodox, and Lutheran churches along with others.

It is wise to have a Biblical point of view in regards to religious celebrations. While taking time to remember Christ's work on the cross and the events preceeding his crucifiction is a wonderful activity, Christians are not commanded in the scriptures to celebrate Lent, Ash Wednesday or even to make Easter a special holiday. God is not impressed by someone practicing a ritual to gain acceptance or forgiveness. Instead, Jesus warned the Pharisees of celebrations without faith.

Mark 7:6-8" TARGET="_blank">Mark 7:6-8 And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; (7) in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' (8) You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."

The pattern of the scriptures tells us that the Apostles and the first Christians regularly celebrated the Lord’s Supper to commemorate the Lord’s death and resurrection on the first day of the week meaning that we should be celebrating Christ's work on the cross 52 times a year in stead of just once.

1 Corinthians 11:26" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Acts 20:7" TARGET="_blank">Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

Lent is supposed to be a period when sinful habits are left behind for the 40 days leading up to Easter. The act of putting ashes on one's forehead is a sign of repentance from sin. The preceding festivals of drunkenness on Fat Tuesday and Madi Gras show that there is a terrible misunderstanding or ignorance of the scriptures since a Christians should refrain and avoid sinful habits all of the time, not just during the days of Lent.

1 Thessalonians 5:22" TARGET="_blank">1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thessalonians 4:3" TARGET="_blank">1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality

During the period of Lent, some foods such as beef or pork are avoided as a penance for some sin. This too, is a curious teaching since the scripture teach the exact opposite in regards to forbidding what a Christian may eat.

1 Timothy 4:1-4" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 4:1-4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (2) through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, (3) who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (4) For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

Ash Wednesday Dates
March 9, 2011
February 22, 2012
February 13, 2013
March 5, 2014
February 18, 2015

Shad David Sluiter

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Your First Visit

Welcome

The Gospel Hall is a carefully chosen name for the meeting place of a church who meets in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The emphasis on the Bible's message, called the Gospel, gives the building its name because of what we do there: we preach the Bible.

Moment of Truth

People here have a common theme - each one has experienced a moment of truth with God that gives them confidence to face life, death and even eternity beyond. Check out some of the Personal Stories to see what we mean by this special moment of understanding called salvation. Each person has faced his/her own guilt before God regarding things done wrong, that is, our personal sin. This moment of salvation doesn't have to occur during a service at the Gospel Hall. In fact, many were saved while doing other things such as reading at home, or while trying to do homework, or even after going to a drug party, or while contemplating suicide while lying on the floor.

What kind of Church is the Gospel Hall?

It dificult to go to a church that you know nothing about. You probably have dozens of questions swirling around your mind such as:

Will the preacher rant and rave and shout strange things from the platform?
Are there secrets or rituals that only "the members" know about?
Of course they want me to donate money, right?
Is this church a political platform for "fixing America?"

First, you can be assured that the services here are done orderly and politely. See the Gospel Hall FAQs to read about the various types of meetings held in the Hall.

Second, the teachings you will hear are not motivated by politics or cult-like agendas. The primary goal of the services is to help people understand what the Bible says. You can get an idea of the services by listening to some sample messages in MP3 audio download format.

Oh, yes, the money. The policy at the Gospel Hall is that no collections are ever taken from visitors at any services. We believe if we can't afford to be offering the service ourselves, then we shouldn't be asking you to pay for it.

Our Roots

The history of the assemblies who meet in the Gospel Hall will show you that our mentors and teachers came from Great Britian during the early 1800's time of influence of the Plymouth Brethren.

Your Needs

We want you to know that we are dedicated to helping you with your needs wherever you are in life. While there is a lot to read on this website, the best way to discover the feel of a place is by spending time with its people. Once you do this, we're convinced that you will find everything that you're looking for and much, much more.

Your First Visit

We would love for you to join us for one of our services. You should...

Contact one of the churches listed in the directory. The phone number is probably a person's home phone or cell phone. They are expecting you to call and ask about the church. They probably will be willing to meet with you beforehand if you have questions.
Pick a Service. See the Gospel Hall FAQs to read about the various types of meetings held in the Hall.
Go to the Hall for the service.
After the service stay around and talk. Getting aquainted after the service can sometimes last longer than the service for some people!

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Are people on the Broad Way condemned?

Does Matthew 7," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14 depict the condition of the lost?

Let there be no doubt about this. The people who heard the Lord were unbelievers who were in danger of being excluded from the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:22, 23)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 7:22, 23). They recognized that the key issue was authority (v 29), because He stated that inclusion in or exclusion from the kingdom depended on whether or not they built on His words (vv 24-27). He warned them that purveyors of false teaching would lure them down the wide, easy road of destruction. He called for submission to His word and a resultant righteousness based on His teaching, not on the compromised teaching of men (Matthew 5:20-48)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 5:20-48). Any who would walk this narrow way must enter through the narrow gate. Apart from a new life, no one can live righteously in God’s sight (Rom 8:7, 8)." TARGET="_blank">Rom 8:7, 8). Any who attempted to live the righteousness the Lord taught would only discover their need of a Savior (3:19). The first 8 chapters of Romans bring us to universal guilt (3:19), a righteous standing by personal faith (5:1), and righteous living by the power of the indwelling Spirit (8:4, 9, 13-15). Previous to His Mountain Message, the Lord had taught Nicodemus these things (John 3:1-21)." TARGET="_blank">John 3:1-21).

Viewing the Lord’s words in the context and in light of other Scriptures, the message to the lost is clear. Only by submission to His Word (repentance), a new birth, and a righteous life (that attests to the reality of their new life) will individuals be in heaven. Apart from that, no matter what else they have or do, they will end in destruction, will perish (the root word for destruction) in hell forever.

D. Oliver
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How was the Word of God compiled?

How was the Word of God compiled?

Men did not originate God’s Word, but spoke as moved by the Holy Spirit (2Pe. 1:21)." TARGET="_blank">2Pe. 1:21). Beyond their own understanding (1Pe. 1:10, 11)," TARGET="_blank">1Pe. 1:10, 11), men recorded the exact words that God breathed out (2Ti. 3:16)." TARGET="_blank">2Ti. 3:16). What was written, although bearing the marks of the writers’ experiences, abilities, and personality, was in accord with the Word, "forever settled in heaven" (Psa. 119: 89). There seems to be no reason to limit the "volume of the Book" in the Lord’s first words in incarnation (Heb. 10:7)" TARGET="_blank">Heb. 10:7) to the Old Testament. All the contents of the Bible were predetermined before their writing.

The same God who desired to communicate His Word and inspired men to write it is able to compile the sacred writings and preserve them. The way by which the Old Testament was compiled is not clear, but the Lord Jesus gives the divine imprimatur to the books recognized at that time. He said, "The Scriptures cannot be broken" (John 10:35)." TARGET="_blank">John 10:35). He defined the Scriptures that therefore must be fulfilled as the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luke 24:44)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 24:44). Although the order of the Old Testament books recognized at that time was different from the order in our Old Testament, that three-fold division, law, prophets, Psalms, included the 39 books we recognize today. Their inherent spiritual weight, reliability, authority, life-transforming power, and internal and combined consistency marked those books as God’s Word. The Lord Jesus affirmed God’s superintendence in compiling the Old Testament. The same is true of the New Testament, although that is more easily traced historically.

D. Oliver
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How can an assembly deal with damaging rumors about an assembly believer?

How can an assembly deal with damaging rumors about an assembly believer?

Apart from a personal confession, the Old Testament principle of "two or three witnesses" (Deuteronomy 17:6)" TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 17:6) applies in all assembly matters. An assembly can't act on rumors.

"Two or three witnesses" does not include two or three stories about similar incidents. Each incident must have "two or three witness" to receive consideration. In the case of drunkenness, for instance, elders would need to verify sufficient incidences of this kind before guiding the assembly to put away the individual.

In the case of serious but unsupported rumors, the assembly can take no action. The overseers would help the individual by visiting him and helping him to understand that he is responsible for the appearance of wrongdoing in his life (Romans 12:17" TARGET="_blank">Romans 12:17b). If anything he is doing contributes to these rumors, even though the rumors are not accurate, he would be wise, safe, and godly to make changes so that no one would even consider repeating such obvious lies.

D. Oliver
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Should a person who is being disciplined by the assembly be present at the discipline meeting?

Should a person who is being disciplined by the assembly be present at the discipline meeting?

Yes. Not every form of New Testament discipline involves putting an individual away from the fellowship. How could an assembly rebuke a fellow-believer (1 Timothy 5:20)" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 5:20) who is not present? In the case of excommunication, an individual remains part of the assembly until the assembly has acted to put him away Silently attending such a gathering might indicate submissiveness to and concurrence with the assemblys action. It may also convince a person of the sensuousness of his sin and of the saints concern for him. No one can force a person to attend; advising him to do so would be wise.

D. Oliver
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Do we pray to the Holy Spirit or only to God the Father?

Do we pray to the Spirit or ask for the Spirit of God?

The Lord Jesus taught the disciples to pray to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus (John 16:23)." TARGET="_blank">John 16:23). In the epistles we learn that we should pray in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18)," TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 6:18), who helps us to pray intelligently and makes intercession for us (Romans 8:26, 27)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 8:26, 27). Before Pentecost, the Spirit came upon people temporarily to empower them for some special service. From the day of Pentecost onward, the Spirit came to indwell and seal each believer at the moment of conversion (Ephesians 1:13," TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 1:13, "upon believing"). We are never told in the epistles to pray for the Spirit, be cause He already indwells, us. We are told to be filled with the Spirit in order to serve God, and to walk in the Spirit in order to please God and not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16)." TARGET="_blank">Galatians 5:16).

A. Joyce

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