Grace Taufeek's Story - "...an ultrasound showed a mass around my spinal canal. I was confused, sad, mad, and scared as I was trying to realize what was really happening. I was quite scared – sometimes even to tears – but deep down, I always had a sense of peace..." (more)

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 Abundant Grace

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101 Ways to Teach a Memory Verse

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Ron Mills' Story - At the age of 22 I started to consider suicide as an answer to feelings of hopelessness. By the time I was 23 I would get brief periods of wondering “is this all there is to life?" I remember going to night clubs after drug use and drinking and just standing amongst hundreds of people and feeling very alone and tired of life. There had to be more to this Life (more...)

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Safety, Certainty and Enjoyment

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Peter Brand

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How could the Lord Jesus and Lucifer both be the Morning Star?

This page was adapted from an answer at Truth and Tidings Magazine by David Oliver.

Let there be no misunderstanding:  the Lord Jesus did not step into a place that Satan lost through his pride. Christ Jesus was without measure both higher in rank and his being than Satan. Christ's plan to come as the Morning Star was made before creation (John 17:24)" TARGET="_blank">John 17:24) and before Satan was created.

Perhaps there could there be some irony in the reference to the Old Testament’s morning star as compared to the New Testament’s Morning Star? The morning star seen from the Earth is more brillant that all others. In the same way Satan excelled among all God’s creatures; he was the "anointed cherub that covered" (Eze 28:14)." TARGET="_blank">Eze 28:14). He was given the highest place of all created beings, but he wanted to climb above the place that God had given to him. He was cast down from heaven (Luke 10:18)" TARGET="_blank">Luke 10:18) and eventuall will be consigned to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 20:10). Jesus Christ along has the capcity to occupy such an exalted position without being overcome with pride.   He "did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped" (Philippians 2:6," TARGET="_blank">Philippians 2:6, English Standard Version). The pathway that God designed for Christ led Him to the very lowest of the low, "even the death of the cross" (v 8). The Father lifted him to the highest point of honor and glory.  He is both Morning Star and Sun. He is "far above all" (Ephesians 1:21)" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 1:21) and will remain so for all eternity.

D. Oliver

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Is Satan real?

Satan is real, and he is your enemy.  However, a believer does not need to fear him.  He is a defeated foe.  His doom has already been spoken by God.  However, he is still alive and well. 

A misconception of Satan

Much of our conceptions about who the devil is, what he does and what he looks like come from sources other than the Bible, making them mere superstition or tradition.  During the in the medieval ages, Satan was illustrated and painted as a hideous creature in hell with horns, goat's legs, and with a forked tail. The necessary accessory, the pitchfork also appears in his portraits.  Apparently the devil uses the pitchfork in Hell to torment the lost.  None of these images is biblical.  His appearance is actually “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)" TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 11:14-15) and “the son of the morning” (Isaiah 14:12-15)" TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 14:12-15) while in reality is the deceiver.  The names “serpent” and the “dragon” (Revelation 12:9)" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 12:9) tell us that his beauty is not delicate beauty like a flower, but a dramatic, harsh character.

2 Corinthians 11:14-15" TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 11:14-15  And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  (15)  So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Isaiah 14:12-15" TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 14:12-15  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  (13)  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  (14)  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.  (15)  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Revelation 12:10" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

1 John 2:1" TARGET="_blank">1 John 2:1  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Ezekiel 28:12-19" TARGET="_blank">Ezekiel 28:12-19  "Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.  (13)  You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared.  (14)  You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.  (15)  You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.  (16)  In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.  (17)  Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.  (18)  By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you.  (19)  All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever."

 Revelation 12:9" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 12:9  And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

John 8:44" TARGET="_blank">John 8:44  You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Shad Sluiter

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Q: I just wondering what the Gospel Hall's stance was on homosexuality? Would a homosexual be welcome at a Gospel Hall? Also what is its stance on gay marriage?

Thanks!

A: There are two stances that most assemblies with the name Gospel Hall on the building would take - one stance in relation to messages address to the general public and the other as to homosexuality within the membership of the church.

1)In teaching the message of salvation all kinds of sin are condemned by God.  That doesn't mean the church should try to carry out judgement on people, but instead teach people that God will judge sin in eternity.  Homosexuality is a sin.  The Bible consistently tells us that homosexual activity is a sin (Genesis 19:1-13;" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 19:1-13; Leviticus 18:22;" TARGET="_blank">Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27;" TARGET="_blank">Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9)." TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 6:9). Romans 1:26-27" TARGET="_blank">Romans 1:26-27 teaches specifically that homosexuality is a result of denying and disobeying God. 

However, the world is full of all kinds of sin in addition to homosexual activity.  All immoral behavior is condemned as wrong whether it be adultery, prostitution, pornography, fraud, deceit, malice, alcohol and drug abuse, idol worship, violence, murder, covetousness, greed etc. etc.

The problem of sin is addressed during sermons at the Gospel Hall.  We do not to tell sinners to reform to be saved.  That is, try to leave their vices behind or make promises to change their ways in order to be saved.  The solution for our sin is found in accepting forgiveness through the punishment for our sins that Jesus Christ suffered on the cross.  "For when we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:6." TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:6.  The entire world needs this salvation, regardless of their sexual activity.  A non-homosexual person should feel no superior than the homosexual "There is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23." TARGET="_blank">Romans 3:23.

2) Homosexual behavior is not allowed as a member of the church.  1 Corinthians 5" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 5 is the Biblical guide to how a church should handle a list of specific sins that are contrary to biblically-defined godliness.  Sexual immorality, greed, idolatry, slander, drunkenness or a swindler sadly appears among Christians even though such behavior is a contradiction of everything that God is.  A person practicing such behavior obviously should be excluded from the local church membership until the person changes his behavior.  That doesn't mean a homosexual person is excluded from attending a service.  It means he cannot participate as a member of the church - in worship, in preaching, in offeringsm, in public prayers.

Here is the chapter in its entirety. 

1 Corinthians 5" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 5

1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. 2And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
 6Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

 9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

 12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

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