GOD’S ETERNAL LOVE

GOD’S ETERNAL LOVE

(A FRIEND STORY)

As soon as I got connected to the Internet, dozens of messages that had piled up in cyberspace while I’d been traveling from the Middle East to Europe flooded my inbox. I wearily started separating junk mail from the real thing, and in the process was surprised to find a note from someone I hadn’t heard from in a long while. It read, in part:

Twenty days ago medical tests revealed that I have cancer. Thank God, it hasn’t spread yet. I will be admitted for surgery very soon. I wish you could come over to the hospital. I’ll be there for a week. I’m not afraid of the surgery, but a little worried.

When I first found out, I felt betrayed. I used to trust my healthy body—then suddenly I found out that I have cancer. I was so disappointed and sad. Then I prayed. God’s kindness and mercy have always been with me, and He gave me signs that helped the illness be discovered early. I think I’ll be okay.

I was deeply touched that this dear woman would reach out to me in her time of need, but I wouldn’t return home for several weeks, so I sent a note to a coworker, asking her to visit this woman and pray for her. I also emailed the woman, explaining that I was away but had asked a friend, whom she’d also met, to get in touch. I also assured her that I would be praying for her.

When I returned home nearly a month later, I learned that my coworker had visited the woman in the hospital shortly after the operation. The woman had been through a near-death experience due to post-op complications. While hovering between life and death, she had had a distinct feeling that she wasn’t supposed to die yet, that God still had plans for her life. She had been revived and was thankful to be alive, but the whole experience had left her strangely troubled and depressed. This was the state my friend had found her in, but after they had talked for a while the woman’s spirits had lifted, and she had clung tightly to my friend’s hand when they prayed together for a speedy recovery and encouragement.

When I phoned the woman, she explained what a difference the visit had made—just the fact that my coworker had come meant so much. “It was as though an angel had visited me,” she said. Even though the battle for her health was not yet over, she thanked us both from the bottom of her heart for our prayers, and then asked us to visit her at her home.

Before this visit, I made her a card with some Scripture passages about Jesus, the Great Physician, who during His time on earth “went about doing good and healing all who were sick,” and who the Bible teaches is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” As I contemplated what else to write, love-filled words flowed effortlessly from my pen. Jesus Himself wanted to express His love and concern for this dear woman, and the message He gave me for her ended with a short prayer she could pray.

As we talked at her house, I explained that while praying for her I had received a message of encouragement for her from Jesus, and that I hoped she wouldn’t be offended if I passed it on to her.

“Even though I am not a Christian, I really love Jesus,” she said. “When I feel worried or uneasy, I listen to a tape by a famous local singer who recorded two prayers, one for Easter and one for Christmas. When I listen to the Easter prayer, all about how Jesus was nailed to the cross, died, was buried, and rose to life again, peace fills my heart.”

When she opened the envelope containing my card and started reading the message from Jesus, tears welled up in her eyes. A little embarrassed, she asked if she could read the rest later that evening.

The next time I talked to her, she said she had reread the whole message and prayed the prayer. “It filled me with peace inside,” she said. “Now I have accepted what God has brought into my life, and now I know I will be okay.”

As we talked on, we both concluded that what really matters in life is that we believe in and love God, and that we receive His words. What a difference it would make in our troubled world, where barriers are going up faster than ever between peoples and religions, if we could reach out and build bridges instead, if we could focus on what is really important—love for God and the sharing of His love with others. God sent Jesus to this world as an example of His love for all mankind. God’s eternal, universal love hasn’t changed, and Jesus Christ, who healed hearts as well as bodies, is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

—

Acts 10:38 (ESV) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by
the devil, for God was with him.

Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

John 3:16 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)

Question: "Should the title of 'reverend' be given to a church leader

Question: "Should the title of 'reverend' be
given to a church leader?"

Answer: Psalm 111:9 (KJV) states, referring to
God, "Reverend is his name." Some interpret
this as saying the title "reverend" is to be used
of God alone and vehemently oppose any human
church leader being referred to as “reverend.”
The original Hebrew word, though, is not
referring to a title. It is declaring that God's
name is to be "revered, highly respected." The
NIV, NAS, NKJV, and ESV all render the Hebrew
word “holy and awesome” instead of the KJV’s
rendering of “reverend.”
Whatever the case, if you are uncomfortable
using the title "reverend" for a church leader, by
all means, use some other title. In most
churches/denominations, the title of “reverend”
is given to a person who has undergone formal
ministry training and has been examined by
those in church leadership. This is commonly
known as “ ordination .” A “reverend” is a person
who has been formally “ordained” into the
ministry. First Timothy 5:17 states, "The elders
who direct the affairs of the church well are
worthy of double honor, especially those whose
work is preaching and teaching." A godly man
who exemplifies 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and sets a
godly example in word and deed is worthy of
being "respected." Whether or not the title of
“reverend” should be used is a matter of
personal conviction and preference.

Question: "What is a bishop, biblically speaking

Question: "What is a bishop, biblically
speaking?"

Answer: In the New Testament, a bishop is a
person who functions as a teaching leader
among a local group of Christians. The Greek
term episkapos has also been translated as
“episcopal,” “elder,” “overseer,” or “pastor.” All
refer to the same office and are therefore
synonyms.
In the earliest churches, their leaders were
simply referred to as “elders.” For example, in
Acts 20:17 we read, “Now from Miletus he sent
to Ephesus and called the elders of the church
to come to him.” In Philippians 1:1 , Paul
introduces his letter “to all the saints in Christ
Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers
and deacons.” Apparently, there were originally
only two leadership positions in the church:
elders (or bishops) and deacons.
In the Pastoral Epistles, Paul speaks twice
regarding the qualifications of elders/bishops ,
those he considered the leaders of the local
church (also notice that these elders generally
served as teams rather than as single leaders).
In 1 Timothy 3:1–7 we read,
“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to
the office of overseer [bishop], he desires a
noble task. Therefore an overseer must be
above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-
minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,
able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but
gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own household well, with
all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if
someone does not know how to manage his
own household, how will he care for God's
church? He must not be a recent convert, or he
may become puffed up with conceit and fall into
the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he
must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he
may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the
devil.”
From this list, we conclude several things. First,
the job of bishop is a noble task. Second, the
job is a limited task (male pronouns and
references are used throughout). Third, integrity
is critical (above reproach, committed to his
spouse, clear-thinking, self-controlled, well-
respected, friendly, not influenced by alcoholic
drinks, not violent or argumentative, not greedy,
caring for his children, and having a good
reputation among the unchurched). Fourth, he
must have the ability to teach. (Deacons, whose
requirements are listed in the next verses, are
not required to have teaching ability.) Titus
1:5–7 shares a similar list for elders, but it adds
the ability to rebuke false teaching. When Peter
wrote to this group of church leaders, he called
himself a “fellow elder” ( 1 Peter 5:1 ).
The earliest writings of the church fathers also
seem to confirm this role of bishops as the
teaching leaders who served alongside deacons
to oversee the church. Both Clement of Rome
(c. 95) and the Didache referred to elders and
deacons from the late first century to the early
second century as the church’s leaders.
Over time, additional layers of leadership were
added to the church. Eventually, the term
bishop came to be applied to a regional church
leader who administered many churches. At the
Council of Nicea in AD 325, the church leader of
each city or area represented his region’s
churches. These leaders were referred to as
“bishops.” Many Christian traditions continue to
embrace this role of bishops today.
However, the biblical teaching is that elders and
deacons lead local churches. The elder was also
known as a bishop or pastor and functioned in
that role. This does not make additional church
leadership roles wrong (to meet important
needs for regional or national leadership among
groups of churches), but indicates that
Scripture points to elders and deacons as the
local church leaders.

Question: "What are the duties of an elder in the church?

Question: "What are the duties of an elder in
the church?"

Answer: The Bible spells out at least five duties
and obligations of an elder:
1) The elders help to settle disputes in the
church. “While Paul and Barnabas were at
Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived
and began to teach the Christians 'unless you
keep the ancient Jewish custom of circumcision
taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.' Paul
and Barnabas, disagreeing with them, argued
forcefully and at length. Finally, Paul and
Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem, accompanied
by some local believers, to talk to the apostles
and elders about this question” ( Acts 15:1-2,
NLT ). The question was raised and forcefully
argued, then taken to the apostles and elders
for a decision. This passage teaches that elders
are decision makers.
2) They pray for the sick. "Is any sick among
you? Let him call for the elders of the church,
and let them pray over him, anointing him with
oil in the name of the Lord" ( James 5:14 ).
Since the elders have to meet specific
qualifications, their lives are godly and therefore
the sin in their lives is minimal and is confessed
regularly; therefore, they are used to pray for
the sick. One of the necessities in prayer is
praying for the Lord’s will to be done, and they
are expected to do this.
3) They are to watch out for the church in
humility. "I exhort the elders who are among
you, I being also an elder and a witness of the
sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the
glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of
God among you, taking the oversight, not by
compulsion, but willingly; nor for base gain, but
readily; nor as lording it over those allotted to
you by God, but becoming examples to the
flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall
appear, you shall receive a never-fading crown
of glory” ( 1 Peter 5:1-4 ). Elders are the
designated leaders of the church, and the flock
is entrusted to them by God. They are not to
lead for the pay or the reward but because of
their desire to serve and shepherd the flock.
4) They are to watch out for the spiritual life of
the flock. "Yield to those leading you, and be
submissive, for they watch for your souls, as
those who must give account, that they may do
it with joy and not with grief; for that is
unprofitable for you" ( Hebrews 13:17 ). This
verse does not specifically say “elders,” but it is
talking about the church leaders. They are
accountable for the spiritual life of the church.
5) They are to spend their time in prayer and
teaching the word. "And the Twelve called near
the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘It is not
right that we should give up preaching the word
of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick
out from among you seven men of good repute,
full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may
appoint to this duty. But we will devote
ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the
word’” ( Acts 6:2-4 ). This is for the apostles, but
we can see from the passage above in #3 that
Peter equates himself as an apostle and an
elder. From this verse you can also see the
difference between the duties of elder and
deacon.
Simply put, the elders should be peacemakers,
prayer warriors, teachers, leaders by example,
and decision makers. They are the preaching
and teaching leaders of the church. It is a
position to be sought but not taken lightly—read
this warning: "Let not many of you become
teachers, my brethren, for you know that we
who teach shall be judged with greater
strictness" ( James 3:1 ). The role of elder is not
a position to be taken lightly.

Question: "What are the qualifications of elders and deacons

Question: "What are the qualifications of elders and deacons?"

Answer: The Bible has a clear set of
qualifications for a deacon and an elder and
their positions in the body of believers. The
office of deacon was developed to deal with a
practical issue in the church: “So the Twelve
gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It
would not be right for us to neglect the ministry
of the word of God in order to wait on
tables’” ( Acts 6:2 ). The word translated “wait
on” is the Greek word diakonein , which comes
from a word meaning “attendant, waiter, or one
who ministers to another.” To “deacon” is to
serve. The first deacons were a group of seven
men in the Jerusalem church who were
appointed to work in the daily food distribution.
A deacon, therefore, is one who serves others in
an official capacity in the church.
The Greek word translated “ bishop” is episkopos
(the source of our English word episcopal). The
bishop is the superintendent, the overseer, or
the officer in general charge of the
congregation. In the Bible bishops are also
called “elders” ( 1 Timothy 5:19 ) and
“pastors” ( Ephesians 4:11 ).
The qualifications of the bishop/elder/pastor are
found in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 : “Here is a trustworthy
saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer
desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be
above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate,
self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to
teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but
gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own family well and see
that his children obey him, and he must do so in
a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does
not know how to manage his own family, how
can he take care of God’s church?) He must not
be a recent convert, or he may become
conceited and fall under the same judgment as
the devil. He must also have a good reputation
with outsiders, so that he will not fall into
disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” Paul also
instructs Timothy on the things that exemplify
the teaching of a good minister. Beginning in 1
Timothy 4:11 and continuing through 6:2, Paul
gives Timothy twelve things that he should
“command and teach.”
The apostle Paul repeats the qualifications of a
bishop/elder/pastor in his letter to Titus. “An
elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife , a
man whose children believe and are not open to
the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since
an overseer manages God’s household, he must
be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-
tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent,
not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be
hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is
self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He
must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as
it has been taught, so that he can encourage
others by sound doctrine and refute those who
oppose it” ( Titus 1:6–9 ).
The qualifications of a deacon are similar to
those of a bishop/elder/pastor. “In the same
way, deacons are to be worthy of respect,
sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not
pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of
the deep truths of the faith with a clear
conscience. They must first be tested; and then
if there is nothing against them, let them serve
as deacons. In the same way, the women are to
be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but
temperate and trustworthy in everything. A
deacon must be faithful to his wife and must
manage his children and his household well.
Those who have served well gain an excellent
standing and great assurance in their faith in
Christ Jesus” ( 1 Timothy 3:8–13 ). The word
translated “deacon” in this passage is a form of
the same Greek word used in Acts 6:2 , so we
know we are talking about the same office.
These qualifications are simple and
straightforward. Both the deacon and the
bishop/elder/pastor should be a male, the
husband of one wife, of sterling character, and
one who rules his own home in a biblical way.
These qualifications also presuppose that one
seeking such an office is a born-again believer
and walks in submission to God’s Word. The
only substantial difference between the two
sets of qualifications is that the bishop/elder/
pastor must be “able to teach,” whereas
teaching is not mentioned as necessary for
deacons.
The Lord Jesus Himself is called the “ Shepherd
and Overseer of your souls” ( 1 Peter 2:25 ). The
titles are interesting. The word Shepherd is a
translation of the Greek word poimen, translated
“pastor” elsewhere (e.g., Ephesians 4:11 ). This
poimen is someone who tends herds or flocks
and is used metaphorically of Christian pastors
because pastors should guide the “flock” of God
and feed them the Word of God. The word
translated “Overseer” is the same word,
episkopos, used by the apostle Paul in 1
Timothy and Titus.
Clearly, the offices of elder and deacon are
important in the church. Ministering to God’s
people in word and deed is a serious
responsibility for a man to take on, and it should
never be done lightly. A biblically unqualified
individual should not occupy either the office of
elder or deacon; the church deserves better.

Question: "What are the responsibilities of deacons in the church?

Question: "What are the responsibilities of
deacons in the church?"

Answer: In the New Testament, the word usually
translated "serve" is the Greek word diakoneo ,
which literally means "through the dirt." It
refers to an attendant, a waiter, or one who
ministers to another. From this word we get the
English word “deacon.” We first see the word
"deacon" used this way in the book of Acts.
“And the twelve summoned the full number of
the disciples and said, "It is not right that we
should give up preaching the word of God to
serve tables” ( Acts 6:2 ). The men who were
giving themselves to feeding the flock by
preaching and teaching realized that it wasn’t
right for them to leave those activities to wait
tables, so they found some other men who were
willing to serve, and put them in place to
minister to the church’s physical needs while
the elders or pastors ministered to their spiritual
needs. It was a better use of the resources they
were given, and a better use of everyone’s gifts.
It also got more people involved in serving and
helping one another.
Today, for the biblical church, these roles are
essentially the same. Elders and pastors are to
“preach the word…reprove, rebuke, and exhort,
with complete patience and teaching” ( 2
Timothy 4:2 ), and deacons are to be appointed
to take care of everything else. In a modern
church, this might include taking on
administrative or organizational tasks, ushering,
being responsible for building maintenance, or
volunteering to be the church treasurer. It
depends on the need and the gifts of the
available men.
The responsibilities of a deacon are not clearly
listed or outlined; they are assumed to be
everything that does not include the duties of
an elder or pastor, which is to preach, teach,
and exhort. But qualifications for a deacon’s
character are clearly outlined in Scripture. They
are to be blameless, the husband of one wife, a
good household manager, respectable, honest,
not addicted to alcohol and not greedy ( 1
Timothy 3:8-12 ). According to the Word, the
office of deacon is an honor and a blessing.
“For those who serve well as deacons gain a
good standing for themselves and also great
confidence in the faith that is in Christ
Jesus” ( 1 Timothy 3:13 ).

GOD’S FREE OFFER

GOD’S FREE OFFER

Jesus came to make salvation as easy as He could. That’s one reason why the religious leaders of His day wanted to see Him crucified, because their religious system as good as said that nobody could be saved without following their complicated laws, traditions, and religious rigmarole. Jesus taught that all we need to do to be saved is believe that He is the Christ, the Savior, and that we are sinners in need of salvation, and then ask Him for salvation.

We can’t completely understand salvation, any more than we can understand the depth of God’s love, which is why Jesus said that receiving salvation requires childlike faith. “Unless you become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of Heaven.” It’s impossible to fully comprehend either one. All we can do is receive them.

Does a baby understand the love of its mother or father? No, he just feels it, accepts it, and receives it. Even before he understands language, before he learns to talk, he understands love, he feels love, and he trusts his parents because he knows they love him. Likewise, you don’t have to understand everything about God to experience His love and salvation; all you have to do is receive Jesus, God’s Son, as your Savior by asking Him into your heart.

You can do that right now if you want God’s answer to all of your problems and His love and happiness to fill your heart and life with joy and with a new plan and purpose in living. He’ll meet all your needs and solve all your problems. He’s just that wonderful, and it’s all just that simple!

Jesus said, “I am the door” into the Father’s house, the kingdom of God. “If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” If you want to get into Heaven, all you have to do is believe that the door is there and walk through it.

Saved and forgiven

Why is forgiveness an integral part of salvation? Because sin separates us from God, and no one is perfect; we are all sinners. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”

So-called good people pride themselves on being better than others. “I don’t do this, and I don’t do that!” But it’s impossible to get into Heaven by being good, because no one can be good enough. We all need to recognize and honestly admit, “I’m a sinner like everyone else. I make mistakes. I need a Savior.”

That’s why Jesus died for us, because we’re all sinners and it’s impossible for us to earn or be worthy of salvation. But Jesus was perfect, and that’s why He could pay the price of our sins so God could forgive us. We all need God’s love and mercy to be saved, and we find that love and mercy in Jesus Christ.

Salvation is like receiving a pardon. God has offered pardon to the guilty, and it doesn’t matter how bad you are or what you’ve done. If you believe that Jesus died for your salvation, you will be saved and forgiven. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin,” no matter what you’ve done! “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

You can’t be too bad, but you also can’t be good enough. You cannot save yourself, no matter how good you try to be, because you can never be good enough; you can never earn or deserve salvation. “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Many people are too proud to accept a gift. They want to work for everything they receive. But no amount of good works or anything else can save them. Only Jesus saves! “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Once saved, forever saved

Once you have received Jesus, He will never let go of you. “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” If you have Jesus, then you have eternal life. You may lose your physical life, but never your eternal life!

Salvation is forever. God doesn’t change His mind or go back on His word. Once you’ve received Jesus Christ, you’re going to live forever. “He who believes on the Son has everlasting life.” Right now! No ifs, ands, or buts about it!

Jesus said, “I am with you alway[s], even unto the end of the world.” “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

You can have peace of mind knowing that you don’t have to worry about whether you’re going to make it to Heaven. Jesus paid for your salvation once and forever, and it’s His gift to you. Grace plus faith plus nothing—that’s salvation! You don’t have to be good to get saved, and you don’t have to be good to stay saved.

But this doesn’t mean that you can then live as you please. Once you’re saved, you’ll always be saved, but if you wilfully commit sins and don’t repent, you will suffer for them in some way. “The Lord disciplines those He loves.” And once in Heaven, you’ll be rewarded (or not) according to how you lived on earth. Salvation is a gift, but you can keep yourself in line for God’s other blessings, both in this life and the next, by doing your best to live as He would have you live. And if you appreciate that gift as you should, you’ll love and want to please Him in return.

A new you

Jesus likened salvation to being born again. It’s that big of a change spiritually. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Don’t be surprised if you actually feel different and think differently and are happier than you have ever been before!

Jesus’ coming into your life not only renews and purifies and regenerates your spirit, but it also renews your mind, breaking old connections and gradually rewiring you with a new outlook on life and new reactions to nearly everything around you. It’s impossible for you to make such a total change yourself, but it’s possible for God—and it’s possible for you to ask Him for it.

When Jesus comes into your heart, expect things to be different. It may not happen all at once, but as you continue to hunger for truth and take in more of God’s Word, it will happen. You’ll find a change in your spirit, your thoughts, and in your direction. You’ll be happy and overflowing with love, because “God is love!”

—

Romans 6:23 (ESV) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galatians 2:16 (ESV) yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

1 John 1:7 (ESV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)