GOSPEL LECTURE SERIES AT IBOKUN BETWEEN NOVEMBER 6TH AND 9TH, 2014

OUTDOOR GOSPEL LECTURES AT IBOKUN, OSUN STATE BETWEEN 6TH AND 9TH NOVEMBER, 2014

Church of Christ

Meeting Temporarily at Oba Iyiola Model Primary School, Ogo Oluwa, Osogbo,

P. O. Box 968, Osogbo, Nigeria. www.cocogooluwa.org; Email:info@cocogooluwa.org

GSM: 080-5604-8209, 081-3299-0742, 081-2926-6999

Ref: COC/OCOC/01/Vol.1/10                                                  Date: 5th October, 2014

________________________

________________________

________________________

Dear brother…………………,

LETTER OF INVITATION

RE: NOVEMBER, 2014 OUTDOOR GOSPEL LECTURES AT IBOKUN, OSUN STATE

Grace be to you and peace from God our father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is to invite you to a 3-day public and house to house preaching which come up between Thursday, 6^th and Sunday, 9^th November, 2014, 5.30pm (Thursday to Saturday) and 9.00am on Sunday in Ibokun, Osun State with a view to having the church fully established in this town. There shall be house to house evangelism in the morning of Thursday, Friday and Saturday and worship on Sunday.

It is our goal that with the help of God and cooperation of the brethren, souls shall be won in the town this year. We therefore solicit your maximum participation in this programme. The theme of the lectureship is “...Ask for the Old Paths, wherein is the good way, and walk therein …” (Jeremiah 6:16), while the topics for discussion and speakers are as stated below:

Thursday, 6th November, 2014

Topic: The Bible and Its Purpose

Speaker: Samuel Ajayi Ojeva

Friday, 7th November, 2014

Topic: The Old Paths of Unity among Believers

Speaker: Benson Omole

Saturday, 8th November, 2014

Topic: (a) The Old Paths of Acceptable Worship

Speaker: Isaac Morot'Oluwa

Topic: (b) The Uniqueness of the New Testament Church

Speaker: Sunday Ayandare

      TIME:         5.30 p. m. – 7.10 p. m.

        

        Sunday: Worship (IJOSIN NI IBAMU PELU MAJEMU TITUN) 

        Venue: St Peter Primary School, Ibokun

        Time: 9.00am

S

      VENUE:      IN FRONT OF TOWN HALL,  ROUND-ABOUT, IBOKUN, OSUN STATE.

Thanking you for your usual support in His Vineyard.

Yours in His Service,

^{For and on behalf of the Church}

Tolu Fatukasi

Invitation to Indoor Lecture, 2nd Quarter, 2014

Church of Christ

Meeting Temporarily at Oba Iyiola Model Primary School, Ogo Oluwa Osogbo,

P. O. Box 968, Osogbo, Nigeria.

GSM: 080-5604-8209, 081-3299-0742, 081-2926-6999, 081-8332-2816

Website: www.cocogooluwa.org                          Email: info@cocogooluwa.org and ogooluwacoc@gmail.com

 

Ref: COC/OCOC/01/Vol.1/2014/02                                                     Date: 18th May, 2014

SCHEDULE OF SERVICE Sunday: 9.a.m. & 5 p.m. Monday &Saturday: 5.30 p.m.

__________________

__________________

__________________

__________________

Dear bro/Sis___________,

LETTER OF INVITATION

SECOND QUARTER INDOOR LECTURES - 2014

Grace be to you and peace from God our father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is to invite you to our second quarter indoor lectures which come up in the month of June, 2014.

                                                                                                                                                                          

The theme of the lectureship is “Study to show thyself approved unto God…” (2 Timothy 2:15), while the topic for discussions and speakers are as stated below:

           

                Date: Sunday, 18th May, 2014        -               -               -               -               Time: 9 a.m.

Topic: Lessons for the church and Christians from the Book of Romans

Speaker: Nathaniel Abire

                Date: Sunday, 8^th June, 2014                            -               -               -               Time: 9 a.m.

Topic: The Life, Work and Martyrdom of the Apostles: Lessons for us today

Speaker: Ajayi Samuel OJEVA

                Date: Sunday, 15th/22nd/29th  June, 2014                   -               -               -Time: 9 a.m.

Topic: Lessons for the church and Christians from the New Testament (church) History

Speaker: Ezekiel AKINYEMI

                Date: Sunday, 13th July, 2014                         -               -               -               Time: 9 a.m.

Topic: Lessons for the church and Christians from the Old Testament History and Geography

Speaker: Sunday Ayandare

Venue: Oba Iyiola Model Primary School, Ajagbemokeferi Area, Onward, Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo.

Thanking you for your usual support in His Vineyard.

Yours in His Service,

^{For and on behalf of the Church}

S          I           G         N         E         D

Tolu Fatukasi

THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF EASTER

THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF EASTER

By Kenneth E. Thomas

When? How? Where did “Easter” begin? Did first century Christians observe  “Easter?” Is it of Biblical origin? Should Christians observe it today? Did Christ or His  chosen apostles authorize the “Easter” observance and its pageantry?  The above questions are of great importance! I shall attempt to answer each of them  as clearly and definitively as possible in this study. This day “Easter Sunday” is one of  the “holiest” days on the calendars of both the Roman Catholics and many Protestants  as well. This being true, one would naturally expect to be able to read something about “Easter” in the New Testament wouldn’t you think? The New Testament claims to  have within its pages “all things that pertain to life and godliness..” (2 Peter 1:3). Also the apostle Paul by inspiration wrote, “All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God,  and is profitable for doctrine, 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). Damnation is threatened to any and all who twist, add to, or take away from that which is divinely revealed in the Bible, specifically the New Testament (John 12:48; 2 Peter 3:16; Acts 3:22-23; 2 John 9-11; Revelation 22:18-19; Galatians 1:6-11).

With this fixed in your minds, think of this, Easter isn’t so much as mentioned in your Bible, let alone its pageantry, time of observance etc.  It was not observed by the apostles and early Christians. If one is to learn anything about the answer to the questions we have posed above, one must go outside the Bible to secular history and the practices begun by the apostate Roman Catholic church, which came into being years after the Lord’s church was established, and after the close of the completed and confirmed New Testament.

It is imperative that you do not allow prejudice and tradition to close your mind to what we are writing here. Don’t lay this tract aside until you have considered what we have to say. Your soul’s salvation may well depend on how you react to this information. If I am in error on this matter, be kind enough to correct me. If I am

correct, you need to learn the facts about “Easter.” Someone will say, “wait just a minute! I found Easter in my Bible. It is in (Acts 12:4).” I knew someone would make this statement and so I have copied a portion of a page from my copy of Berry’s Interlinear Greek-English New Testament so you can read for yourself that the translators of the King James version of the N.T. of 1611 AD, were not true to the manuscripts. This was probably due to the fact that both the Roman Catholic and the Church of England had by this time in history begun to practice the observance of “Easter” with all of its attendant trappings. A faithful translation would have found the word that has been translated “Easter,” “Passover” instead. In addition to this quote from Berry, I shall show you what the noted Greek scholar said about this matter. The Bible will be our final source of authority of course, not the writings of uninspired men.

Still, most of us common folks must rely on the work of these scholarly men who know the original languages for our English renderings. The New Testament was written in the common Greek language. Consider the following, please. This simply cannot be disregarded. It has a bearing on our subject. In fact this is a death knell to this observance to an honest heart.

One could be so blinded by tradition and “grasp at the straw” above and see “Easter” in (1 Corinthians 5:7), but nothing remotely resembling it may be found there or anywhere else in the New Testament.

What About the Resurrection?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb on the third day is actually the “corner stone” of the religion of Christ! My brethren and I believe in the resurrection with all of our hearts! The resurrection of Jesus proved His identity as the divine Son of the living God (Romans 1:4) so states. If Jesus wasn’t raised He isn’t on David’s throne for He was “raised to sit on David’s throne” (Acts 2:22-36; Daniel 7:13-14; Luke 1:32-33).

If Christ wasn’t raised and exalted, we have no high priest, no forgiveness of sins, and are of all men most miserable! (1 Corinthians 15:17; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 Corinthians 15:18- 19; John 20:14-18; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:13; Mark 16:12; John 20:19-23). We do not minimize the importance of the resurrection. Belief in the resurrection has nothing

whatsoever to do with the pageant and observance known as “Easter.”

Jesus Gave a Memorial!

Jesus instituted the one memorial that is authorized in His word. It is known as the “Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20). “Communion” (1 Corinthians 10:16). The “breaking of bread” (Acts 20:6-7). Jesus placed this observance “in His kingdom” (Luke 22:16-20; Matthew 26:26-28). History as well as Scripture show that this was a weekly observance in the local churches of Christ until uninspired men changed it years later (Acts 2:42; Acts 20:6-7; 1 Corinthians 11:19-34). Those changes were and are sinful (2 John 9). To add memorials unauthorized by Christ’s word is likewise sinful (Acts 3:22-23; John 12:48; Luke 6:46).

Although not specifically stated, several things may be deducted from the observance of this memorial. (1) That Jesus did come into the world in fulfillment of the prophecies of our Messiah (Matthew 1:18-21; John 1:1-4,14). (2) That He died for our sins (1 Corinthians 11:24) “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.” “This cup is the New Testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.” And, “For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till He come.” The phrase “till He come” suggests the resurrection as well as the final advent of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:23-34).

Isn’t it strange that the “one memorial” authorized by Jesus for His followers to honor Him, has been so corrupted by uninspired men that their corruption of the Lord’s Supper has become known to the Catholics as a Sacrament, and is called the Mass where Jesus is sacrificed over and over daily. It is carried to the sick beds and given significance which the Lord did not intend it to have. Conversely, Protestants minimize the importance of this memorial and some “observe” it monthly, quarterly, yearly, or some not at all. Too, the elements are not regarded as important by some. They substitute other elements for the “unleavened bread” and the “fruit of the vine.” Why will men bring into being things the Lord did not authorize, and fail to observe as commanded and as shown by approved apostolic example, what Christ desires of those who follow Him?

What Does “Easter” Mean?

I shall answer the above question by going to the source of those who created it as a yearly observance, the Roman Catholics. From my own copy of a Catholic Bible with the imprimatur by Albert Cardinal Meyer Archbishop of Chicago, 1965 edition.

“EASTER: This feast, commemorative of the Resurrection of Christ, is named for the Teutonic goddess of light (Anglo Saxon title Eastre or Ostera); her festival was held in April. The Jewish feast of the Passover is linked with Easter as Our Lord is regarded as the true Paschal Lamb; and in the 8th century the name Easter was adopted as the title for this festive celebration.

As early as the 2nd century, there were keen disputes respecting the day on which this feast should be kept. In 325 A.D., however, the Council of Nicaea ordained that Easter should be observed always and everywhere on one and the same day; and that the day should be on the Sunday next after the full moon that came on or after the vernal equinox, which falls on March 21, provided that when that moon was full on Sunday, Easter should be the Sunday following. Referred to as the Passover, Acts 12:4 1083.

EASTER DUTY. The obligation to receive Holy Communion during Easter time, which is generally from Palm Sunday to the first Sunday after Easter. The time, however, varies in different parts of the world according to custom.” If the above quote is correct, it shows clearly that this corruption and departure from New Testament teaching was begun within a couple of hundred years after the apostolic period. The fact is, if it began one day or one year after the final revelation was completed and confirmed, it was too late to be of apostolic origin (Jude 3; John 16:12-13; 2 John 9; Galatians 1:6-11). The information above suggests however that the name “Easter” wasn’t given until the 8th century A.D. It also reveals the origin to be the heathen goddess of light Eastre or Ostera. Now my friends, what do you think of “Easter?”

In the first century when someone tried to bind as part of the religion of Christ, practices not authorized by the men whom Christ inspired with the Holy Spirit to reveal “all truth,” (John 16:13), they were condemned in no uncertain language. When some wanted to bind parts of the law of Moses on followers of Christ, the apostles said they were “subverting your souls” and “to whom we (the apostles, KET) gave no such commandment” (Acts 15:23-24).

Today when religious leaders bind practices unknown to the New Testament on those in their particular fellowship, such as “Christmas” and “Easter,” they are subverting the souls of those who accept and engage in such unauthorized activities (Colossians 3:17; 2 John9; Colossians 2:8; Matthew 15:9).

Someone may ask, “then what about the other days and seasons associated with “Easter?” What about “Lent” “Ash Wednesday” “Fat Tuesday” “Mardi Gras;” “Passion Sunday” “Palm Sunday” “Good Friday” etc. etc. etc.? Simply stated, they fall under the light of New Testament teaching, as practices and inventions of uninspired men. They are sinful practices, things which cannot be done to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. He asked the Jews of his day, “And why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say” (Luke 6:46)? Jesus Christ has “all authority in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18; Philippians 2:5-11; Ephesians 5:22).

Many folks believe certain unauthorized practices to be acceptable to the Lord if “their church” says it is alright! Not so! The Bible, not the church, the (Roman church nor any Protestant church) is the authority (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 Peter 4:11). 

What Will You Do Now?

Having learned the origin and the unscripturalness of the practice of observing “Easter,” what will you do now? Will you continue to support a “church” that engages in this unauthorized memorial to the resurrection of Christ? If you do, you will be “bidding Godspeed” to every error they teach and practice (2 John 9-11). God has told those who desire to serve Him in faithfulness down through the ages to “come ye out from among them....”(2 Corinthians 6:14- 18). Will you come study with us, learn and obey the truth of the gospel of Christ and meet and worship with his people?

Should Christians Observe Easter?

Should Christians Observe Easter?

Easter is a widely-observed annual celebration commemorating the resurrection of Christ. You probably have noticed that Easter comes at a different time each year. "Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or next after the vernal equinox (Mar. 21 in the Gregorian calendar); if the full moon happens on Sunday Easter is celebrated one week later. Easter Sunday cannot be earlier than March 22 or later than April 25; dates of all other movable church feasts depend on that of Easter" (Webster).

The Origin of Easter

Some church historians assert that Easter observance began in the first century, but they must admit that their first evidence for the observance comes from the second century (Schaff, History of the Christian Church II:207; Latourette, A History of Christianity, I:137). There soon arose a bitter controversy over which day Easter was to be celebrated. Some were observing it on any day of the week, and others were celebrating it only on the nearest Sunday. This indicates that they had no instruction from the Lord on this matter. By A. D. 325 the council of Nicaea decreed that it should be on Sunday, but did not fix the particular Sunday. The exact time of observance was determined by later councils.

Is Easter in the Bible?

The word Easter is only found one time in the English translation of the Bible and there it is a mistranslation. The King James rendering of Acts 12:4 used the phrase "intending after Easter." Albert Barnes, a noted Presbyterian commentator who wrote in the nineteenth century when the King James version was widely used, said,

"There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this. The original is simply after the Passover. The word Easter now denotes the festival observed by many Christian churches in honor of the resurrection of the Saviour. But the original has no reference to that, nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at the time when this book was written. The translation is not only unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of the original, but because it may contribute to foster an opinion that such a festival was observed in the time of the apostles" (Barnes Notes on the New Testament, XI, 190).

The word translated Passover, and the one used in Acts 12:4, is pascha. It means "a passing over" and is used with reference to the Jewish festival of Passover which was celebrated on the 14th of the month Nisan. This same word is used in Matthew 26:2; Mark 14:1, Luke 2:41; 22:1; John 2:13, 23 and other places, and in every instance is translated Passover in the King James Version except Acts 12:4. More recent versions correctly use the term Passover in Acts 12:4. It is absurd to think that Herod Agrippa I wanted to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The Scripture says that he "laid hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword...he proceeded to arrest Peter also" (Acts 12:1-3).

New Testament Christians Did Not Observe Easter

The famous fourteenth edition of Encyclopedia Britannica says,

"There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the apostolic Fathers. The sanctity of special times was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians" (VII:859).

The apostle Paul warned against the observance of feast days, new moons, etc. (Gal. 4:10-11; Col. 2:16-17). Another reliable source says,

"In apostolic times the Christians commemorated their Lord's resurrection every Sunday, by meeting on that day for worship. When Paul refers to Christ as our passover (1 Cor. 5:7) his language is metaphorical and cannot be regarded as containing any allusion to a church function" (A Dictionary of Religion and Ethics, p. 140).

For many people, Easter has become the one time of the year they attend church services. Concerning urging of Catholics to receive Holy Communion the question was asked, "They must go at least once a year if they would be regarded as Catholics?" "Father" Smith answers, "Yes, during Easter time" (Father Smith Instructs Jackson, p. 159). Many forget the admonition of Hebrews 10:25: "not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near."

Importance of the Resurrection of Christ

Let no one imagine that we oppose the resurrection of Christ. It is the bedrock of Christianity and the deity of Jesus rests upon it (Rom. 1:4). Christians today meet every first day of the week, as did the early Christians, to observe the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7). The first day of the week is a memorial to the resurrection of Christ. The death, burial and resurrection of Christ, serves as the form of an individual's death to sin, burial in baptism, and resurrection to walk a new life as a new creature in Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom 6:3-11; Col. 2:12).

Conclusion

"Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God (1 Pet. 4:11). The celebration of Easter began too late, and without the expressed authority of God!

---

By Ferrell Jenkins. This article may be downloaded from biblicalstudies.info and distributed freely in its entirety. We invited you to visit our companion site, bibleworld.com.

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST TO THE MODERN MAN

By Kola S. Ajibola

Introduction
Virtually in the world today, there is nothing important and valuable that had not been forged by modern man. However, it is incredible to note that modern man with all his knowledge, scientific breakthrough, super technology and his quintessential abilities still embraces that which is inferior, fake and of little or no value. It is sad to observe further that this is not limited to physical/material things but also to spiritual things; even matters of salvation of soul.

The Gospel as understood by the Modern Man
To the modern man, several gospel of Christ are in existence and acceptable to him. It leans towards several directions which can be broadly grouped into orthodox, Pentecostal, protestant, and the new millennium gospel. This classification is easy to identify if one is acquainted with the prevailing doctrines of a particular group/sect/division/denomination. What is confusing in the whole matter is that all of these groups do lay claim to the Bible as their source of authority. Despite the fact that the Bible did not contain any contradictory teaching, yet the modern man held on tightly to different and contradictory and sometimes conflicting doctrines; this is equally amazing and disturbing to a sincere seeker of the truth.

Today, the modern man accepts, embraces and teaches that Jesus Christ is not the end of the Law and wants to see it taught in Matthew 5:17-18. Meanwhile, the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the end of the Law. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth." (Romans 10:4; cf. Galatians 5:4; Ephesians 2:12-17). To the mind of the modern man, there are many mediators (prophets); yet the Holy Bible declared that there is just only one mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). In the opinions and views of the modern man, Jesus reconciles God to man which is contrary to the teachings of the Bible which says "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5: 18, 19; NASV).

Modern man teaches that Jesus Christ would save anyone who profess faith (Luke 6:46) forgetting that this group will include devils because "… the devils also believe, and tremble." (James 2:19). Contrary to this teaching of the modern man, the only book that contained the mind of God – the Bible says "…gospel … is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16). The modern man believes that God saves some from all churches (the denominations/sects), while the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the saviour of the body, the only true church (1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 5:23) which is just one and has its authority in the Bible only (Matthew 16:16-18, Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:13, 18, 24).

The modern man understood the gospel of Christ as containing the doctrines of men as he teaches for doctrine the commandments of men (Matthew 15:8,9) which includes direct calling (against the only gospel call available today – 2 Thessalonians 2:14), vision telling (contrary to how God speaks to man today, through Lord Jesus Christ – Hebrews 1:1-2), celebration of feasts, festival which had no scriptural precedence (no Bible passage to support the practice – practices that were never engaged in by the first century Christians) such as Easter, Christmas, Bazaar, etc.

In the understanding of the modern man, one can be freed through praying (1 Peter 3:12), which is contrary to the teaching of Holy Spirit who said one is freed by his obedience to the gospel of Christ (form of doctrine) "But thanks be to our God that you were the slaves of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. Then being made free from sin, you became the slaves of righteousness." (Romans 6:17, 18). Men today still agree that 'faith only' saves contrary to what Bible teaches. The bible teaches that the gospel of Christ saves (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:13) when obeyed (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). But the modern man says man has nothing to obey! Hence, the conclusion of the Holy writ: "But also if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those being lost, in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving ones, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (who is the image of God) should not dawn on them." (2 Corinthians 4:3,4).

The Gospel as Revealed in the Scriptures
The gospel of Christ as revealed in the scriptures is very simple, straightforward, it is neither burdensome nor wearisome, not confusing but convincing to those who are not lost (2 Corinthians 4:3); because the gospel is hidden only to them that are perishing; for the gospel "...is hidden to those being lost, in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving ones, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ (who is the image of God) should not dawn on them." (2 Corinthians 4:3,4).

Sin made God drove man out of the Garden of Eden. God has purpose and plan for mankind. He desires the very best for mankind and designed the Garden of Eden and put man there with this command: "…tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'of every tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'" (Genesis 2:15-16).

But Satan came and deceived the first man (Adam) through his wife (Eve) (1 Timothy 2:13, 14) and both of them fell into transgression – sin. The sin brought pronouncement of God, full of curse upon them. God being just, reward all of them. To the serpent; God said "Because you have done this, you are cursed …" (Genesis 3:14-15), to the woman (Eve), He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for husband, and he shall rule over you" (Genesis 3:16). To the man (Adam) God said: "cursed is the ground for your sake: in toil you shall eat of it … in sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:17-19).

After these pronouncement, God drove the man out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken and "God placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life" (Genesis 3: 23, 24).

Love of God brought the Saviour. In love for mankind, God promised the Saviour: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15). God chose a man by the name of Abraham through whose seed He would bring into the world the One who would be the Saviour of the world. God promised Abraham, "And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). From the time this promise was made around 2000 B.C. God had continually reminded His people that there was a "blessing" coming; who would bear the iniquities of the people (Isaiah 53). The promise was not only to the descendants of Abraham, the Jews, but to all families of the earth. It was God's promise to all mankind (every tribe and tongue and people and nation). Peter explained this more clearly on the day of Pentecost that "You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant that God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed.' For you first, God raised up His Servant Jesus and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you away from your iniquities" (Acts 3:25,26).

The Seed of Abraham that would bless all mankind was JESUS! The blessing was that Jesus would turn us away from our sins. Paul wrote, "Now to Abraham and Blessing Of The Seed his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as to many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ" (Galatians 3:16). So the Seed was Jesus Christ. He was the same Seed of woman that God promised would crush the head of Satan after Adam had sinned (Genesis 3:15). He would crush Satan by offering Himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. This was the great news of the gospel. "But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us … we shall be saved from wrath through Him … we shall be saved by His life" (Romans 5:8-11).

Jesus Died to bring man back to God from Satan
Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified on the cross of Calvary for the sins of all people (Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 3:5; cf. 1 Corinthians 5:21, 15:3; 1Peter 2:22). He "bore our sins in His own body on the tree, so that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus died for all of us! Through His sacrificial death, all men who are obedient to His will can have forgiveness of sins. By the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, he crushed the power of Satan so that people might have an escape route from sin and come back to God through Him. He shed His blood (Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18,19. Cf. John 10:18). He was buried in a tomb in order to overcome mankind's problem of physical death, only to be raised by God on the third day after His burial (1 Corinthians 15:4; Acts 2:32), He was raised on Sunday morning from the dead and came forth from the tomb (Mark 16:9).

If modern man would believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, then this belief becomes the foundation upon which the modern man's faith stands that he (the modern man) will be raised in the end (1 Thessalonians 4:14). The fact is, at the return of Jesus, "all who are in graves will hear His voice and come forth ..." (John 5:28, 29). However, only those who have believed on Jesus will be resurrected to life, for only "in Christ" is there hope of resurrection to an immortal state of being (1 Corinthians 15:22). Jesus' resurrection, therefore, is God's answer to the physical death problem of modern man.

Jesus thereafter ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9; Ephesians 1:20-22) to sit at the right hand of God: "who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" (Hebrews 8:1). Because Jesus is in heaven, Christians "have a Counsellor with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world" (1 John 2:1,2). Jesus is at the right hand of God making intercession for His own – Christians (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). He is now King of kings and Lord of lords and has all authority over all things for the benefit of His believers – Christians (Matthew 28:18; 1 Timothy 6:15; Hebrews 1:3).

Jesus is coming again to finalize His victory over death by the resurrection of the righteous from the dead. This is great news for those who have given themselves to Jesus, the Christ. It is bad news, however, for those who have not submitted themselves to Jesus. The disobedient will be raised for destruction when Jesus comes again. Are you looking for the final coming of Jesus? Because of their faith, Christians (those who have obeyed the gospel of Christ without being a member of any denomination) are eagerly "looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:12). Are you among?

When God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to the world, He "did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). By this, "the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11; Ephesians 2:1-10). This being the truth, when Jesus first came, some people who considered themselves to be religious, did not receive Jesus Christ because they had already rejected the will of God (Mark 7:9). Many people today are best described likewise. Will you also be one of those religious people today to whom Jesus comes, but because of your religious traditions and bigotry reject Him? The grace of God is offered to those who do not know God as well as those who have known Him but had been trapped in the world of man-made (modern) religions. God is calling the modern man out of such vain religions in order to enjoy the freedom of His grace. "'Come out from among them and be ye separate,' says the Lord. 'And do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you'" (2 Corinthians 6:17). That is a command with promise!

What the Modern man should obey to enjoy the Grace of God?
In order for the modern man not to be punished by God on the judgment day, the Holy Spirit sounded the following to warn the modern man and counselled the modern man to "... rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power." (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). Two things are glaring in this passage: one, Jesus Christ is coming to take vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (the unbelievers). Two, one must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to escape the coming judgment of Jesus (1Peter 4:17).

The modern man is to believe and obey the gospel event (the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus the Christ) as recorded in the Bible and that the death of Jesus Christ is also for the sins of modern man (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Mark 1:15) and not for the sins of Himself because He was without sin, He is sinless (1 Corinthians 5:21, 15:3; 1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15; cf. Hebrews 9:28).

When Peter and other eleven apostles were asked on the day of Pentecost, "men and brethren what shall we do?" Peter answered and said Repent and be baptised, every one of you and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts. 2:36-41; cf. Mark 16:15-16). It is important for the modern man to repent in order to be saved (Luke 13:3, 5). Jesus demanded that those that would be His followers must confess their faith with their mouth (Matthew 10:32, 33; Romans 10:8-10).

In the epistle to the Romans, Paul under the influence of the Holy Spirit wrote to Christians in Rome, and thus reviewed their past obedience to the gospel in chapter 6 beginning with verse 3. "Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father; even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection; knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin." In baptism (immersion) we are coming into a spiritual union with Jesus. A covenant is being established. A personal relationship with God is beginning. Because of the seriousness of this teaching, Paul repeats the answer to the question of verse 3 again in verse 5. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, we will also be in the likeness of His resurrection. By Baptism (immersion) into Jesus one is united together in the likeness of Jesus' death. As Jesus went to the tomb almost two thousand years ago, so we can also go to a tomb (grave) of water together with Him today. Subsequently, we are raised with Him in order to walk in newness of life. This is great (good)news!

In baptism (immersion), therefore, you are buried with Jesus. You are also raised with Jesus. In baptism (immersion) one obeys the gospel, which is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It's that simple. However, before one goes to the grave with Jesus, he or she must also go to the cross with Jesus. Paul explains this in verse 6. "knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin." Your old man of greed, selfishness, drunkenness, cheating, lying, spiritual fraud, religious sin, unscriptural worship and practices, innovations and modernisations foreign (strange) to the Bible etc. must die on a cross of self denial with Jesus. Paul wrote concerning his personal crucifixion, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me ..." (Galatians 2:20). You also must be crucified with Jesus before you can be buried with Him in the waters of baptism. The Bible says, "Repent, and be immersed every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

What would the Modern man obtain if he should obey the Gospel?
It is mandatory for all to hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe the gospel, obey it by repentance, confession of faith, and being baptised in water. Having done all these, God would now fulfil His promises which He had promised those who believe. The promises to enjoy includes remission of sins (Acts 2:38); the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38); eternal life (1 John 2:25; 2 Timothy 1:10; Revelation 2:10).

Where Does This Leads To?
Baptism (immersion) is the door that leads one to benefit from the promises of God. By it, one is put into one body – the church: "For also by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free, even all were made to drink into one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13). The body is the church: "And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things." (Colossians 1:18, 24). This church is not another denomination or inter-denomination, but the true church, the New Testament church whose head is Jesus (Colossians 1:18, 24). It bears no proper name or human-given names but scriptural names which are descriptive such as: the church of God (1 Corinthians 1:2), the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22,23), the church of Christ (Romans 16:16), the house of God (1 Timothy 3:15), the flock of God (1 Peter 5:2,3), the bride of Christ (Romans 7:4; Revelation 21:9), the church of the Lord (God) (Acts 20:28), the household of God (Ephesians 2:19), the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Individual members do not bear sectarian names such as "ABC Family", "XYZ Communion" but few of the terms that are used in the New Testament to describe members of the body are: Disciples (Acts 11:26), Christians (Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16, cf. Acts 26:28), Saints (Romans 1:7; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1), Children of God (Romans 8:16; Ephesians 5:8), Sons of God (Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:1,2), Brethren (Philippians 4:21; 1 Peter 2:17), Servants (Romans 16:1,2), Priests (1 Peter 2:5,9; Revelations 1:6).

Those names that are used in the religious world by modern man that divide brethren (believers) should be discarded and disowned. Those who seek to establish unity among brethren will always give up traditional names in order to base unity among Christians on the principles of the Bible (Ephesians 4:4-6). We must always keep in mind that God did not intend to give a specific name to the church. We want to state humbly that it is wrong to wear names that denominate, as well as belonging to denomination. Denominationalism is sinful (1 Corinthians 1:10-13) and was never in the plan of God. Jesus prayed for the unity of believers (John 26:1-26); Paul scolded Corinthians for allowing the spirit of sectarianism (division, denominationalism); the Holy Spirit foretold division among Christians (Acts 20:28-30) of which we are witnesses. Christians must be united, all who are in division are should repent.

The New Testament church worships in truth and spirit (John 4:23-24) with the following items of worship:
1. Bible study, teaching and proclamation: "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ" (Acts 5:42; 2:42; cf. Hebrews 1:1-2). They "went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8:4).
2. Sing Praises To God And Admonish One Another: "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16, cf. Acts 2:47). Note the use of the word 'sing'. This is non-instrumental music, it is vocal music (Hebrews 13:15).
3. Prayer: "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Acts 2:42). Christians should not be "anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving" let their requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6; John 14:13).
4. Giving/Collection for the saints and not tithe: I Corinthians 16:1-2; 8:12. This is done on every Lord's Day – Sunday. Christians individually are expected to do good unto all men all days and should even be looking for the opportunity to do so (Galatians 6:9-10). Tithes paying and receiving was for Israelites (Deuteronomy 5:1-5, 14:22) and the law had been nailed to the cross of Christ, done away, and taken out of the way (Colossians 2:14-17; Hebrews 8:7-13; Galatians 3:10, 19, 23-25; 2 Corinthians 3:14-17). Christians are to follow the law of liberty, law of Christ in the New Testament (James 1:25, 2:12). Anyone that pay or receive tithes today is under a curse (Galatians 3:10; 5:4).
5. Communion: This is also another item of worship that must be done on every Lord's Day – Sunday (Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 22:16-20).

So, the modern man must believe the gospel of Christ and obey it in order to be saved and be counted among God's own people whom Jesus is coming to take home at the end, worshipping God in truth and in spirit.
Conclusion
The modern man has wondered far away from the Lord despite his technology and science. You are the modern man. Would you risk another day? Please, do not turn your face away from God. He has sent this to you. He wants you to take a bold step of obeying the true gospel today. Kindly accept His grace, come to Jesus Christ in faith, confess your faith in Him, repent and be baptised for the remission of your sins into the body of Christ (church of Christ, Colossians 1:18, 24) and for receiving grace, peace and joy with eternal life as promised by Him. Why not obey Christ now!
P. O. Box 35478, Agodi Gate, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. 234-80-56048209