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From: davidbu@loowit.wr.tek.com (David E. Buxton)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Are You In The Right Church?
Message-ID: <May.26.02.26.02.1991.14057@athos.rutgers.edu>
Date: 26 May 91 06:26:04 GMT
Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu
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Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu

A couple of things that come to mind with regards to the 'right' church:

A church that disposes of, or disparages the OT is not for me.

    "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this 
    word, it is because there is no light in them."  --  Isa 8:20  (NKJ)

A church that gets carried away with dispensations where the 'rules' of
salvation keep changing from erra to erra is not for me:

    Do not add to or diminish from the Commandments of the Lord your God. 
    (Deut. 4:2; 12:32)

    "He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God 
    of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He. "--  Deu 
    32:4  (NKJ)

    All his commandments are sure . . . . They stand fast for ever and ever.  
    (Ps. 111:7,8)

    "Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens."  (Ps. 
    119:89)

    "Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded 
    them forever."  --  Psa 119:152  (NKJ)

    Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever:  nothing can be added to it, 
    nor anything taken from it.  (Eccl. 3:14)

    " . . . . He will magnify the law, and make it honorable." (Isa. 42:21)

    He (an earthly power) shall THINK to change times and laws (God's).
    (Dan. 7:25)

    "He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And 
    the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills bowed. His 
    ways are everlasting."  --  Hab 3:6  (NKJ)

    "I the Lord your God do not change. . . ."  (Malachi 3:6)

    17 - "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; 
    I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  18 - "I tell you 
    the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, 
    not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law 
    until everything is accomplished.  19 - "Anyone who breaks one of the 
    least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be 
    called least in the kingdom of heaven,  but whoever practices and 
    teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  
    20 - "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of 
    the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter 
    the kingdom of heaven."  (Matt. 5:17-20)

    "It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear, than for the least 
    stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law."  (Luke 16:17)

    "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and  is profitable for 
    doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in 
    righteousness,"  --  2 Tim 3:16  (NKJ)

    God remains the same and your years will never end.  (Heb. 1:12)

    "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  (Heb. 13:8)

    "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down 
    from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of 
    turning."  --  James 1:17  (NKJ)

    I write no new commandment unto you.  It is simply the Old Commandment 
    that you had from the beginning.  The New Commandment is a new 
    understanding of the Old Commandment.  (1 John 2:7,8)

    "And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment 
    to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one 
    another.  This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This 
    is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you 
    should walk in it."  --  2 John 1:5,6  (NKJ)

I want a church where Jesus is the central theme.

Also a church where the law of God is kept in the right perspective - to
serve Him because we love Him:

    Love your enemies.  (Matt. 5;43-48)

    If ye know these things, happy are you if you do them.  (John 13:17)

    "If you love me keep my commandments."  (John 14:15)

    He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me.  He 
    who loves Me loves my Father.  I will love him and manifest myself to 
    him.  (John 14:21)

    If a man love me, he will obey my teachings.  (John 14:23)

    "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; even as I have 
    kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.  (John 15:10)

Thats enough for now.

Dave (David E. Buxton)