Author and Pastor Ron Craig
If what is being taught and practiced in much of the modern church is in any way different from what Jesus and the early church taught and practiced, why is that so, and when did it begin to take place? Who had the audacity to tamper with the very Word of God? Remember, according to 1 John 5:10, to deny anything God included in the Gospel message is the same as calling God a liar. In addition, in Galatians 1:6-9, Paul warned against anyone perverting the Gospel message which he preached and said plainly that those who do so are accursed. That is an age-long principle, so was not true just back in Paul’s day. That and all other dire warnings to tamper not with the Word of God are still in effect today. We are supposed to be preaching the same Gospel message, with the same supernatural power, today that Jesus, Paul and others preached back in their days on earth! Moreover, our Savior said in no uncertain terms in John 12:48 that the very same words He spoke on earth while He was here will be the words used to judge everyone at the end of this age. That has to mean that as far as God is concerned the original Gospel has never changed. In fact, all of the above Scriptures, plus a lot of others, plainly bear out that Bible Truth. So, how did the church get to the powerless position it occupies today?
On our church website, you will see several books I have written on this and other Bible subjects. Three of them deal with what is known as Calvinism. The modern church is literally saturated with John Calvin’s cowardly doctrine known as Cessationism. Cessationism teaches that miracles were experienced only by Christians in the early days of the church, and were not meant for later generations of believers. That is an anti-Gospel doctrine, which literally denies all of the Scriptures I have presented in these articles. Cessationism is pushed upon church members in many denominations. Moreover, anyone who dares to question that cowardly teaching is branded as a heretic in numerous cases. However, those pushing Cessationism are the real heretics, according to Jesus, Paul, and the entire New Testament. Let us contend for the original faith—Jude 3. If we do, we can believe God for miracles today just as they did back in those early days. In fact, genuine Bible miracles are being experienced around the world today just as in early days. Since human nature and needs are the same today as they ever were, then we need supernatural solutions just as much as any previous generation! More enlightening historical information next time!
(If you are not a committed member of some other Christian fellowship, you are invited to visit Living Way Fellowship at 2041 County Road 73, in Killen area. From Killen, going north on US 43, turn right on County Road 73 and go 2 and 1/2 miles. We are on the right. You can’t miss the sign out front—Living Way Fellowship. Sunday 10:00 A.M., Wednesday 7:00 P.M. Ron Craig is the pastor, teacher and Christian book author. Contact us at ronwritercraig@gmail.com, or log onto our church website at www.livingwayfellowshiponline.org.)
