Our Fundamental Beliefs And Values
At Internet Church Of Christ And LoveAllPeople.org
By Rev. Bill McGinnis,
Pastor of Internet Church Of Christ and
Director of LoveAllPeople.org
Search our pages => http://loveallpeople.org/searchallpages.html
This document is free to copy, free to use. All text is in the Public Domain.
Latest HTML version should always be available at
http://www.internetchurchofchrist.org/beliefsandvalues.html
INTRODUCTION TO OUR FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS AND VALUES
Hello, and blessings to you.
It is easy for people to become involved in the details of life but not to
recognize the beliefs and values which guide them every day. This page is
an attempt to provide a clear summary of our fundamental beliefs and
values here at Internet Church Of Christ and LoveAllPeople.org. This is
our big picture of life, our big world view; and everything we do here
seeks to be in harmony with these beliefs and values. We invite you to
adopt them and make them your own.
May the One God, Who created all things,
Who created all people in His image,
Bring peace to you now and forever.
May He grant to you the light of understanding,
According to your needs and abilities.
Amen.
Blessings to you. May God help us all.
FIRST: HOW MUCH CAN WE KNOW?
God does not permit us to understand all things at this time. Why not? We
don't know. He just doesn't permit it. At the present time, we see things
only dimly, as through a glass.
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but
then face to face: now I know in part; but then
shall I know even as also I am known."
(1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV)
Nevertheless, He does permit us to understand the things that we truly
need to understand. Today, we need to understand more than we did in Bible
times, because our human power over Creation is so much greater than it
was thousands of years ago. Therefore, He gives us new information,
according to our needs and our abilities. Some of this new information is
found here.
THE NATURE OF GOD
There is one God, Creator of all things. He is all-knowing and
all-powerful. He is Absolute Sovereign God, so nothing whatsoever occurs
in all Creation without His knowledge and consent. He runs His Creation in
His own way, for His own reasons, which we are not entitled to understand.
He created us for His own good pleasure, and He owes us nothing.
Nevertheless, He loves us very much and has provided the means for us to
have happiness and joy forever, if we go along with His plan for us. If we
rebel too much against Him, He cuts us off from His blessings; and then we
struggle all alone.
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
(Genesis 1:1 KJV)
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created
by him, and for him:" (Colossians 1:16 KJV)
THE PURPOSE OF LIFE
The purpose of life is to please God; and the purpose of all Creation is
to please God.
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power:
for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are
and were created." (Revelation 4:11 KJV)
"For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people:"
(Psalms 149:4a KJV)
OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD
For His own reasons, He has placed us here on His Earth; and He has
provided a great abundance for us, so that all of our needs can be met;
and He has given us much power and authority over the Earth, to take good
care of it for Him. With this power comes responsibility. We are
accountable to God for how we treat the Earth and everything on it. In
particular, we are responsible to God for how we treat each other.
"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing
that moveth upon the earth." (Genesis 1:28 KJV)
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself
to God." (Romans 14:12 KJV)
THE NATURE OF GOOD AND EVIL, RIGHT AND WRONG
God is as He is, whether we like it or not. We use the words "good" and
"evil" in a moral sense to describe our attitudes toward things which
affect us. When something helps us, we call that "good." And when
something harms us, we call that "evil" or "bad." God, Himself, is beyond
good and evil, just as He is beyond time and matter. He is as He is.
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:"
(Exodus 3:14 KJV))
From God's perspective, we are "good" or "righteous" when we live
according to His will for us. And we are "evil," or "unrighteous" or we do
"wrong" or we "sin" when we live in opposition to His will. Seen from
God's perspective, good and evil are not absolutes, like absolute black
and absolute white; but they have different degrees, like different shades
of gray, according to how close they are to His will.
Likewise, the will of God has different degrees of intensity, similar to
emotions in humans: from extreme high intensity to very low, from passion
to indifference. Some things are much more important to Him than others.
So God may intensely desire that we not murder anyone today, but He may
not care at all whether we have roast beef or chicken for dinner, or if
our underwear is spotlessly white.
Moreover, His will is not the same for all people in the same situation,
nor for the same person in different situations. In any situation, He has
different roles for different people: some leaders, some helpers, some
followers, some non-participants, etc. And the same person may have
different roles in different situations: at work he is a technician; at
home, the husband to his wife and the father to his children; on the road,
just another driver, etc. In each situation and for each person, God's
will is somewhat different, according to that person's role in the
situation.
And in many, many cases, He doesn't really care: we can do whatever we
want, as long as we do not exceed the limits He has set for us. He gave us
free will. He wants us to be free, within very broad limits.
This is what the Bible talks about when it mentions "the glorious liberty
of the children of God."
"Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children
of God." (Romans 8:21 KJV)
God Himself is neither good nor evil. He is as He is, whether we like it
or not. It is not our business to be passing judgment on Him. He is our
Creator, and we belong totally to Him, to do with as He pleases.
THE BIBLE
The Bible is the inspired written Word of God, sufficient to guide all
human action, for all people, at all times. Although its Source (God) is
infallible, the Bible itself is not perfectly infallible because fallible
humans have introduced human error into it. Also, the Bible cannot always
be understood literally, because it contains figures of speech which are
never intended to be taken literally. Nevertheless, the Bible is the
highest written authority in all matters which it discusses. And if it is
properly understood and properly applied, it is a sufficient moral guide
for all human action.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness:
"That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works."
(2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV)
Is the Bible the final Word of God, the last things He has to tell us? No,
it cannot be; because God provides His followers with the Holy Spirit, to
guide us directly in all things.
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the
Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all
things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever
I have said unto you." (John 14:26 KJV - Jesus speaking.)
Is the Bible the only true source of spiritual information and guidance?
No, because God loves all of His creation, and He gives whatever He wants
to whomever He chooses.
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the only-begotten Son of God, fathered by the Holy Spirit
interacting with the unfertilized egg in Mary's womb. The One God exists
in three persons: God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit
(Holy Ghost), according to the doctrine of the Trinity. (See also The
Trinity.) Jesus was crucified, dead and buried; then rose from the dead,
by the power of God; then received all authority, by the power of God; and
lives today in Heaven and literally in the hearts of those who believe in
Him.
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of
the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20 KJV)
The words "only-begotten" mean "only-fathered," that is, Jesus is the only
human ever directly fathered by God, that is, by the Holy Spirit
interacting with the unfertilized egg in Mary's womb. Today we can
understand how this happened by interaction of the Holy Spirit with the
genes in Mary's egg, not by any act of sexual intercourse. Earlier people
could never have understood our concept of genes. If we believe in Him, we
will not perish, but will have eternal life, forever with Him.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." (John 3:16 KJV)
"Believing in Him" means: that we accept the fact that He is Son of God,
risen from the dead; that we accept Him as our own personal Lord; that we
try to follow His commandments as best we know how; that we are always
willing to declare our faith in Him, openly and without hesitation.
When we truly accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, we
become filled with His love, which then expresses itself as love for
others, which is God's desire for us.
SALVATION: THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST SIMPLIFIED
"You give yourself totally to Him, and He takes good care of you forever."
That's it! That's the Christian message in its simplest, clearest form,
with all the extras stripped away. "You give yourself to Jesus, and He
takes good care of you forever," as one of His own people. This offer is
available to you, no matter who you are or what you've done. All you have
to do is accept it to put it into effect. Details here =>
http://www.internetchurchofchrist.org/pearl-gospelsimplified.html
TRUTH AND LIES
God loves the truth and hates lies. He wants us to seek and find the
truth, so that we know it: and he wants us to speak the truth, so that
others may also know it.
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free." (John 8:32 KJV - Jesus speaking)
"These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye
every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the
judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
"And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against
his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these
are things that I hate, saith the LORD."
(Zechariah 8:15-17 KJV)
The Bible mentions the word "truth " two hundred and twenty-four different
times; and none of them justifies falsehood or lies on any occasion. You
can read these verses for yourself, by clicking HERE! (See
http://biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=truth&qs_version=9)
Are there any situations in which God is pleased when we lie? Very few, if
any. The only ones might be when lying is the only way to prevent a very
serious evil, such as murder. Lying to save an innocent life might be
justified, just as killing in self-defense might be justified, but
certainly not encouraged. Almost always, there are better ways than lying
to accomplish any good purpose. Search for them.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS LOVE: "LOVE ALL PEOPLE AS YOURSELF."
The most important thing He wants us to do is to love: to love God first
of all, then to love all other people the same as we love ourselves, using
Jesus' love for us as our example. God accepts our love for others as if
it were love for Himself; so when we love others, we are actually loving
Him. Love for others fulfills the entire law of God.
"For all the law is fulfilled in one word,
even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself." (Galatians 5:14 KJV)
But who is our neighbor? Jesus answered that question in the Bible, when
He gave us the story of The Good Samaritan. In this story, a man is robbed
and beaten and left by the side of the road to die. Several of his own
countrymen (his supposed "neighbors") pass by him, ignoring him. But a man
from a hostile nearby country feels compassion for him, and stops to help.
He treats his wounds, then puts the injured man on his own donkey and
takes him to an inn for further treatment, which he pays for. Jesus tells
us that the victim's true neighbor was the man who helped him; and that we
should all go and do likewise. Actually, the two countries in the story
are today known as Israel and Palestine. The victim was from Israel. The
one who helped Him was Palestinian. And the location of the story was on
the road from Jerusalem to the Palestinian city of Jericho.
So the Good Samaritan was a Palestinian. Think about that for a while,
everybody.
And the moral of the story is that everyone is our neighbor. Thus we
should love all people as we love ourselves. This "Law Of Love" finds its
clearest expression in the words, "LOVE ALL PEOPLE AS YOURSELF."
For more on God's one law, please see
http://www.internetchurchofchrist.org/godsonelaw.html
DISASTERS
"Why do bad things happen to good people?" This is one of the big
questions of all time, and it needs to be answered as best we can.
First, we have already shown above that God does not permit us to
understand all things at this time. And we have already said that God is
absolute sovereign over everything. He created everything; it all belongs
to Him. Nothing happens without His knowledge and consent.
Next, we need to understand that God has ordained the laws of Nature,
including the laws of Physics, such as The Law Of Gravity. He does not
usually interfere with their normal, mechanical, cause-and-effect
operation. When He does interfere, it is considered a miracle. So when the
mechanic fails to fasten the bolts, and the wing falls off the airplane,
and it crashes, killing your child, God didn't do it: the mechanic did.
Yes, God could have kept it from happening, but in order to do so, He
would have had to interrupt the normal operation of His creation. He
doesn't do that very often. Many of the bad things that happen to good
people are the result of the normal cause-and-effect workings of Nature.
For instance, people are designed to wear out and die. That's just the way
it is. These things happen to good people and bad people alike.
"for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
(Matthew 5:45b KJV)
In addition to these natural causes, there are also some supernatural
causes. For some reason, Satan and his demons have certain rights to exist
and to act. And they hate us. They will harm us as much as they can. As
Christians, we have some authority over them, but few of us know how to
use it. Many of the bad things that happen to good people are caused
directly by Satan and his demons. Acts 10:38 speaks of people being
"oppressed of the devil."
"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with
power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were
oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
(Acts 10:38 KJV)
Sometimes, God will warn us in dreams or by some other means, when bad
things are heading our way. If we cultivate a close relationship with the
Holy Spirit, we are more likely to be warned of impending trouble so we
can avoid it. Joseph was warned in a dream to take Mary and baby Jesus
into Egypt, to escape Herod who was trying to kill Jesus (see Matthew
2:13).
No matter what happens, if we love Him, God will make everything work out
for our own good, even if this idea seems preposterous at the time.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
(Romans 8:28 KJV)
The world is a very rough place. We can expect much pain and many
difficulties of all kinds. Why? We don't know. That's just the way it is.
"Man that is born of a woman is of few days,
and full of trouble." (Job 14:1 KJV)
The good news is that Heaven awaits us, and then all our troubles will be
gone.
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain: for the former
things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4 KJV)
Until then, we have the Holy Spirit as our Comforter, Who will be with
us,helping us and loving us at all times.
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;"
(John 14:16 KJV)
<
RULES OF BEHAVIOR
We have already shown above that all of God's law for us is now rolled up
and included in the one general law, called The Law Of Love, which is:
"LOVE ALL PEOPLE AS YOURSELF." But how do we put this general law into
specific practice? What do we actually need to do, in specific cases?
The Golden Rule provides the answer. We love others best by following the
Golden Rule, "TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED," in each
specific case.
"TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED."
_____________________________________________________________
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to
you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the
prophets." (Matthew 7:12 KJV)
_____________________________________________________________
Note that He says, "for this IS the law and the prophets,"
not "for this is required by the law and the prophets."
<
This makes sense, doesn't it: if we love the other person as we love
ourself, then we will want for him to have the very same things we would
want for ourself if we were in his present situation. So we treat him
exactly the way we would like to be treated if we were in his situation.
This is the very best we can do for him. And this is what God wants us to
do.
So we can say, "The Golden Rule puts the Law Of Love into action."
The easiest way to apply the Golden Rule to real life is to ask
yourself the question "How would you like to be treated in similar
circumstances?" Then treat the other person that way. Also consider
the impact of your actions on all other people, not only those
immediately before you.
For more about the Golden Rule and how to apply it, please click HERE =>
http://www.loveallpeople.org/golden.html and HERE =>
http://www.loveallpeople.org/goldenrulesolutions.html .
In early Bible times, God gave The Ten Commandments to Moses, to be the
most fundamental basic Law for the people of Israel. All other people -
the Gentiles - were not included under this law. After Christianity became
established, it was clear to many people that the Ten Commandments were
very much in harmony with the Law of Love and The Golden Rule in many
real-life situations. So even though non-Jews are not required to follow
the Ten Commandments, these Commandments can be very useful for guidance
in many situations. But they are not absolute iron-clad law for a
Christian.
For more on all these things, please see http://guidelinesforlife.com
There you will find good advice for how to apply the Golden Rule and the
Law Of Love. You will also find a version of The Ten Commandments,
restated for the Gentiles. But please do not lose the main idea: "LOVE ALL
PEOPLE AS YOURSELF." If you do that in all cases, you will never go far
wrong, no matter what. And if you do go wrong, God will forgive you
because of your love for others.
DEMOCRACY AND EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW
DEMOCRACY: literally, rule by the people, from the Greek demos ("people")
and kratos ("rule").
Source: Britannica.com
Our belief that "all people are created equal" is based on the Biblical
idea that God created all people in His image, and that each person will
be held equally accountable to God for his own actions in this life.
The Golden Rule, "Treat Others As You Would Like To Be Treated," is the
foundation of Democracy, because the Golden Rule directs us to give the
same power to others as we would like to have for ourselves, namely, the
power to make decisions in matters affecting our lives. How much power?
The same as we have ourselves, and this leads immediately to the idea of
"one person, one vote," with all votes being of equal weight. So,
Democracy is the natural result of applying the Golden Rule to the
question: "What kind of government should we have?" Similarly, the Golden
Rule leads directly to the idea of equality of all people under the law.
_____________________________________________________________
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to
you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the
prophets." (Matthew 7:12 KJV)
_____________________________________________________________
Please see THE INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRATIC PROCEDURES -
http://www.loveallpeople.org/democraticprocedures.html
LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENTS
Legitimate Governments are established and maintained by God for the
purpose of maximizing the happiness and well-being of the people within
their jurisdiction. The people should obey the laws and regulations of
their legitimate Government.
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.
For there is no power but of God: the powers that
be are ordained of God.
"Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth
the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall
receive to themselves damnation."
(Romans 13:1-2 KJV)
Does this means that we must always do whatever our Government wants us to
do, no matter what? No, it does not. Jesus says that we should give the
Government whatever rightly belongs to it. But we should give God whatever
rightly belongs to God. This proves that the government's rightful powers
over us are not unlimited.
"Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar
the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things
that are God's." (Matthew 22:21b KJV)
Moreover, God requires the Government to rule wisely and to do good, not
evil to the people. The Government is supposed to be "the minister of God
to thee for good."
"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the
evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do
that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
"For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if
thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not
the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a
revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."
(Romans 13:3-4 KJV)
But what if the Government fails in its obligation to do good? What if it
does evil continuously? Then it loses its authority from God and becomes
illegitimate; and it should then be replaced with a better Government.
That is exactly what happened at the time of the American Revolution. The
Government of England was doing evil continuously to the American
colonists. Thus it needed to be replaced.
A legitimate Government will govern with the informed consent of its
people. Dictatorships which use force against the will of the people are
not legitimate; and they should be replaced. Governments which lie to
their people in order to obtain consent are not legitimate; and they
should be replaced. Just as Mankind is God's trustee for taking good care
of the Earth, so each Government is God's trustee for taking good care of
the people under its jurisdiction.
HUMAN RIGHTS
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to
secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the
People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying
its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form,
as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." -
by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration Of Independence, July 4, 1776
NOTE: The government of England over its American colonies had become
illegitimate by this time, and the people of the colonies had the right to
abolish it.
We accept and support the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights. In 1948,
following World War II, the entire world was united as never before or
since. The Cold War, which effectively crippled the United Nations for
more than fifty years, had not yet begun. During this time, the United
Nations was the highest legitimate civil authority, with world-wide
jurisdiction; And it took this opportunity to establish the Universal
Declaration Of Human Rights. The legal and moral authority of the
Universal Declaration has never been reduced, and it remains today the
legal and moral standard for the world.
UNIVERSAL SALVATION
The Christian Doctrine of Universal Salvation, or Universal
Reconciliation, states that all people, no matter how evil they may be,
are created by God; and that God the Father, acting through His Son, Jesus
Christ, will eventually bring all people back to Himself and into Heaven,
by means which we cannot know or understand. After death, each person will
be judged by God according to his deeds.There is punishment for evildoing,
according to God's desire for justice. But this punishment is temporary
and not eternal. Eventually, everyone comes back to God the Father, by
Jesus Christ, His Son.
"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest
up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation
of the righteous judgment of God;
"Who will render to every man according to his deeds:"
(Romans 2:5-6 KJV)
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made
alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV)
Details at http://www.loveallpeople.org/universalsalvation.html
RELIGIONS OTHER THAN CHRISTIANITY
All religions and systems of belief, even Atheism and demon worship, exist
with the knowledge and consent of God. Eventually, however, all untrue
beliefs will pass away; and only true beliefs will remain. Until then,
each person is responsible to God for his own choice of religion; and each
person's choice should be respected, as long as no harm is done to others.
"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live
peaceably with all men." (Romans 12:18 KJV)
THE ULTIMATE RESULT
The ultimate result is that all people will eventually live together in
peace and harmony with God and with each other, forever. The Bible gives
us a preview:
Revelation 21:3-4 (KJV)
21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they
shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God.
21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
<
SEXUALITY
God's preferred way for most adult people to live is: one man, one woman,
united together in marriage for life in a happy, monogamous, one-flesh,
sexual relationship. In cases where this is not possible, God may permit
other arrangements to be made in order to fill legitimate human needs.
Each legitimate civil authority may establish its own rules for sexual
behavior.
"Let all things be done decently and in order."
(1 Corinthians 14:40 KJV)
ABORTION
Abortion after the first heartbeat is the taking of innocent human life,
therefore is generally against the will of God. In some extreme cases, He
may reluctantly permit such an abortion, just as He reluctantly permits
killing in self-defense. We believe that life begins, not at the moment of
conception, but at the moment of the first heartbeat, which is said to
occur around the third week after conception. This understanding follows
the Biblical principle that "the life of every creature is in the blood."
(Leviticus 17:11 and elsewhere) Therefore a deliberate termination of
pregnancy before the third week does not take a life, because the life had
not yet begun. People who are happily united together in marriage,
according to God's plan, rarely desire to terminate a pregnancy by any
means.
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood:"
(Leviticus 17:11a KJV)
BIRTH CONTROL
Birth control by means which prevent conception is in harmony with the
will of God, as long as both parties are agreed that they do not desire to
conceive at this time. Likewise, a deliberate termination of pregnancy
before the first heartbeat is also acceptable, even if not desirable. Any
deliberate termination of pregnancy which stops a beating heart is
generally against the will of God, although permitted in some extreme
cases.
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood:"
(Leviticus 17:11a KJV)
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
If the legitimate civil authorities determine that capital punishment is
necessary for certain extremely severe crimes, they may impose it. The
Biblical prohibition of killing applies to personal killings, such as
murder, not to necessary killings in war or as a just punishment for the
most serious crimes.
WAR
War is never to be sought, always to be avoided. Nevertheless some wars
are necessary and unavoidable. If the legitimate civil authorities
determine that a war must be waged, the population should participate to
the best of its ability, seeking always the earliest possible end to the
bloodshed. For references, please see References For The Just War War is
the absolute last resort, when all else has failed. If any government
starts a needless war, justified by lies and deception, it thereby loses
its legitimacy and should be replaced. And the people who permitted this
needless war to be started, and who failed to prevent it when they could
have done so, are in grave danger of being judged guilty by God.
"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live
peaceably with all men." (Romans 12:18 KJV)
YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN
We have established a Google Group named INTERNET CHURCH OF CHRIST, where
you can receive updates on these issues, and more. You can visit this
group at http://groups.google.com/group/internetchurchofchrist , and you
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A FINAL WORD
The most important single thing you can do in your life is to establish a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ, in which He is your personal Lord
and Saviour, and you are His trusting follower. If you do this one thing,
you will find joy and happiness now and forever. If you do not do this one
thing, you will continue to deprive yourself of the many blessings God has
intended for you to receive. Only by accepting Him can you become filled
with His love, as God desires you to be. If you have not yet accepted
Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, you can do so now by clicking
HERE! This is the traditional Protestant way to accept Jesus and become a
Christian.
HOWEVER: There is a more direct and more powerful way, and that is by
giving yourself totally and completely to Him, using the prayer below:
A VERY POWERFUL PRAYER, GIVING YOURSELF TO JESUS
If you want to do this now, here are the words you can use: Of course,
you must agree with these words and say them sincerely, as from
yourself.
Be consciously aware that you are seeking Him, trying and intending to
speak directly to Him. Don't say these words to Him unless you mean
them.
"Lord Jesus, I give myself to You, for You to be my only Lord and
Master. I renounce and repudiate all other loyalties, and
I desire no other Lord but You. Please come into me and
take control of my life. Mold me to Your will and to Your
use. I ask that You drive out all other spirits which conflict
with You in any way. I want to belong only to You, to be subject
only to You. I make this prayer to You, in Your name, the name of
Jesus. Amen."
These words have been tested in real life, and they DO WORK!
If you truly mean these words sincerely, you will not need to
repeat them very many times before you will have a dramatic reaction!
The Lord Jesus WILL accept you, and He will enter into you and
take control of your life.
Get ready, for it will happen to you!
"Seek, and ye shall find; ask, and ye shall receive."
(from Matthew 7:8 and Luke 11:10)
Rev. Bill McGinnis
Blessings to you in Jesus Christ our Lord.
You can contact me, Rev. Bill McGinnis, at bmcgin@patriot.net. Please
include "Fundamental Beliefs" in your subject line, so I will not overlook
your message.
Thank you for visiting "Our Fundamental Beliefs And Values At Internet
Church Of Christ And LoveAllPeople.org."
Blessings to you in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rev. Bill McGinnis, Director - LoveAllPeople.org
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