First, do we go the extra mile in dealing with people? Even when they treat us unfairly, do we treat them with good?
Concerning the doctrine, do we live by the doctrines set forth for us by God in the New Testament?
Paul says if we pay attention to ourselves and the doctrine, "In doing this, we will save ourselves and those that hear us." (I Timothy 4:16)
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* Take heed to yourselves:
Treat other people in a godly way as shown by the Spirit of God.
When we had the house in Texas, our realtor became upset with us, or with the property, and no longer wanted to deal with us. She sent us a letter saying, "I think the time has comes for us to part ways."
I responded, "Ok ... thank you."
That same day, I found another realtor who would represent the property and within two days the house was back on the market. And the house sold in two days after going back on the market.
After the closing, and the money was in the bank for the house, I sent checks of $500 to both the previous realtor and her partner for their work they had done in showing the house. It wasn't much, but I thought they deserved something, for I knew these previous realtors had several open houses where they displayed the house.
After we sent the gratuities to the previous realtors, we received an email from one of the partners saying how she thought she had learned a lot from us and would be a better realtor in the future.
Regardless, their encounter with us should show God to them by the way we dealt with issues.
For example: One of their agents, a Catholic, went over to the property and buried a "idol" of some kind in our flower bed in back of the house, for this woman thought this "idol" would allow her to pray over the house and make the house sell. As soon as we found out this had been done, we said that this is witchcraft and we required that this "idol" be removed from the property.
In March, 2020, a couple made an offer on the house which we accepted. They had 10 days to inspect the house and "back out" if they decided they didn't want the house. At the end of the 10 day period, they asked for a 5 day extension, which we granted. But at the end of that extension they asked for another extension of 24 hours which we did not grant. They backed out of the contract. This is when our realtor quit. But we felt led by God not to give this second extension. The building inspector which was hired by this couple listed several things that needed repair. So after this couple backed out and we had the new realtor, we raised the price of the house to cover the repairs and other things which had been unforeseen expenses. Then the couple returned again and wanted to buy the house and they even paid the new price which was $7,000 more than the previous price.
The house was already priced $100,000 below that which the square footage for such an house usually brought, so the buyers would be getting a good buy even though they had to pay $7,000 more.
The house closed May 15, 2020, but the previous realtors who had quit, did not get the full realtors fee, although I believe they did get a partial fee.
Make it a point to share God's way and to deal in a way that is right in the sight of God in all things.
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* Take heed ... to the doctrines of Christ:
Many doctrines of Christ set forth for the church in the New Testament Bible are set aside in the churches today. But we need to keep those doctrines in our own minds and function in this life according to those doctrines.
Some of the Bible doctrines which have been changed from the NT Bible today in the church are as follows:
* Divorce & remarriage after divorce:
Mark 10
And HE (Jesus) arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto Him again; and, as HE was wont, HE taught them again.
2 And the Pharisees came to Him, and asked Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting Him.
3 And HE answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And HE saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
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Matthew 5:32
But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
- If a man divorces a faithful wife, and that faithful wife remarries, she will commit adultery upon remarriage after divorce. But the husband who divorced the faithful wife will be the cause of her adultery.
- The man who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
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I Corinthians 7
10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
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* Homosexuals & lesbians:
Romans 1
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
I Corinthians 6
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (homosexuals), nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
But if a person sees his sin and repents and turns from that sin and refuses to do that sin again, then he is forgiven and can be in the church and saved if he continues in God's ways.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
John 8, Jesus says to the woman taken in adultery: "Go, and sin no more." She could not continue in adultery.
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* Dealing with "brothers" (and sisters) in Christ who commit sins of fornication, covetousness, idolatry, railing, drunkenness, or extortion:
I Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
We have to put such away from ourselves. Paul did not say to pray for them or counsel them. If they are called "a brother" they know better and they know these are sins. Just put such a one away from the church. Or if you are in a church where these are accepted, you have to depart from them.
Hebrews 10
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know HIM that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto ME, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people.
(God will judge them but we have to put such a "brother" away from us.)
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 6
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.
II Peter 2
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
I Corinthians 5
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
(I believe we deliver such a one to Satan when we refuse to associate with such a "brother".
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* Doctrine concerning the way we are to gather as the church when we meet:
I Corinthians 14
26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.
35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
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* Ministers of the New Testament church given to the church after Jesus arose:
Ephesians 4
8 Wherefore HE saith, When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
11 And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
No minister in the New Testament Bible is called "Reverend."
Holy and reverend is God's name.
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* Concerning fornication:
I Corinthians 6
15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith HE, shall be one flesh.
(At the time of sexual intercourse, the two become one flesh.)
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
I Corinthians 7
Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
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* Concerning and elder/bishop in the church.
I Timothy 3
This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Titus 1 (Paul to Titus)
5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
(We see Paul using the words elder & bishop interchangably. These are the same office in the church.)
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
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Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many (for the Word of God) shall wax cold.
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We must view these doctrines from the Bible for churches today have changed these rules for the New Testament church.
I would not gather with a church group where these rules have been changed away from scriptures.