by Fenter Northern

If you are a New Testament Christian, and there is no other authentic kind,–dramatic differences have reshaped your life. Difference the New Testament speaks of as your sanctification. The basic meaning is set apart. But I find that a bit limited because it essentially includes being set apart for a purpose. That purpose is revealed by Jesus in that great sermon to which all other valid sermons are anchored. He spoke of the single Christian purpose as glorying the Father. He said this: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The total Christian life is to be a testimony before the world that the Lord, God omnipotent reigns and you are His child.

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By Fenter Northern

I do not feel I am unduly concerned about evangelism in the Lord’s church today, however I am concerned. We seniors have lived through a golden age of evangelism in the United States, one hardly possible for Christians under fifty years of age to imagine.

Young Christians have grown up in a far different culture than that of the post-civil war and early 19th century period, an age when many, especially the rural and blue collar people placed a premium on Bible authority. Many in honest error during that age, upon hearing the Gospel, respected the word of God and made essential changes in their lives. Since WWII there has been a phenomenal advance in technology. Men have placed themselves in the center of the universe with emphasis on material surroundings with little spiritual introspection. Aside from the remnant, a semblance of Christianity still exists but with increasingly less regard to be anchored soundly to the original New Testament doctrine. Biblical tenets and examples are looked upon as irrelevant being too archaic for today’s society.

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By Fenter Northern

There is always the hidden joy in the soul abiding there due to the knowledge of our salvation and being heirs of eternal life.

However, we older members in the Lord’s church recall the jubilant thrill that rang in the congregations during the early years of last century when the church was growing by leaps with building programs everywhere. So much of that excited expectancy seems to have faded away with the coming of the new century. It’s sad that young Christians do not know that wonderful delight of seeing so many souls so excited as we did responding in those great gospel meetings. In those early days they lasted two weeks,–two Sunday meetings with morning services, without any complaining. Meetings gradually decreased in time to one week, then Sunday through Wednesday. Preachers in big demand for meetings taught in Bible colleges. That limited their availability to weekends. This made weekend meetings popular among the churches. Finally, interest even in these short meetings waned so much some were questioning if the day for gospel meetings was over in the church. Churches began on special Sundays having meals after morning services with a second service following the meal, then eliminating the evening service. With the graying of memberships, evening services have been jettisoned in some places. What the future holds with the ebbing of preaching and teaching service no one knows, but this I know. No congregation can survive that has lost its appetite for the true bread of life.

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By Fenter Northern

2Th 2:15 So, brothers and sisters, stand strong and continue to believe the teachings we gave you when we were there and by letter.

The text speaks to us concerning the identical critical issue that has remained constant since that day of Pentecost on which the Lord’s church was first established—“Save yourselves from this crooked generation. The same Lion that Peter warned the church about in his fist epistle is still on his hungry prowl. The antichrist that John warned about in his first two epistles is still anti-Christ today. He has just adapted the modern trappings that best suit his purposes to destroy or render ineffective the children of God in this generation age of electronic obsession.

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By Fenter Northern

Can you identify with Paul where he said: “the good that I would, I do not.” and who would delivery me from this wretched body of sin and death? Is there any word from the Lord about that? It is the demand that is thrust upon the church in this hour? Are we measuring up to it?

It is critical that we do not lose our courage when everything about us seems to be coming loose at the seams, when those seeking to rule over us in politics seem to be fugitives from a mental asylum—and millions of voters would have it so.

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By Fenter Northern

Love that’s real is very rare,
Naught on earth can compare,
When you have this kind of love,
God smiles on you from up above.

God is love, it is His purity of character. Love is the most sought after thing in the world, even money when it is true love, yet it is extremely elusive. Many never find it. Why? Because it is not cheap. It comes with rigid self-discipline and respect for other human beings. True love is self-suffering to alleviate the suffering of others. It makes great demands on oneself that many are not willing to pay.

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By Fenter Northern

THE DAYS of the restoration movement of the Lord’s church in the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century were exhilarating times when thousands of souls were baptized into Christ. Congregations dedicated to “speaking where the Bible speaks and remaining silent where the Bible is silent’ began to dot the countryside.

Then, just as a Pharaoh “rose up that knew not Joseph,” and enslaved Israel, so today a generation has risen that cares little for the restoration cause, or has much appreciation for its demands for a “thus sayeth the Lord,” or, its cry of “back to the Bible for it all.

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By Fenter Northern

I have been attending worship service for many, many years, I think about it a lot. I know that the Apostle said I must worship my Lord “in spirit and in truth.” As animated as you make the service, you cannot worship God in Spirit without the truth. Many seem to confuse God’s Spirit with their spirit.

The question comes to my mind, just what should each worship mean to me in the current affairs of my life? And, how can I receive as much as possible from each worship period to help me conform my life to the will of God. When the last amen is said, and I walk out the door, how should that experience in worship have helped me face another day of noisy distractions and unexpected temptations?

Prayer is central in worship. We close it with the little word Amen which conveys stirring, deep meaning. Just what does it mean? It conveys the basic purpose of what a worship is all about.

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By Fenter Northern

“Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” ~ Heb. 9:28

Caiaphas and his lackeys were gathered at Golgotha that fateful Friday, all outwardly adorned in their religious gowns. They gloated with each nail driven through the hands and feet of Jesus.

They delighted seeing the sinless Son of God wince and contort in pain as the callous soldiers pinned him to two wooden beams. Those were the exemplary holy men, posing themselves as guides to the blind, showing the way of salvation to the poor and common Jews. In truth they were quite the contrary being only delegates of the devil who had turned God’s house into a den of thieves, now carrying out the will of their prince of darkness. Jesus called this moment, “the hour of darkness.”. He had this moment in mind near Caesarea Philippi when said He would build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The priests who were killing God’s son that Friday wanted to hurry to get the affair over. They must rush home to celebrate the Passover feast, callously ignorant they had just slain their Messiah, the Lamb of God.

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By Fenter Northern

SADLY, EVIL IS WITH US AND IS HERE TO STAY UNTIL THE LORD OBLITERATES IT WHEN HE RETURNS. SO HOW MUST CHRISTIANS LOOK AT THIS? NOT WITH THE FOOLISH WHO BLAME OUR GOOD GOD OF LOVE, SAYING, “IF HE IS ALL POWERFUL, WHY DOESN’T HE PUT AN END TO IT.”

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