Church Services Online In Kenosha WI 53142
The Church of God in Kenosha WI invites you to come as you are and experience the love and grace of Jesus of Nazareth. The Church has a several fold reason for existing in the world today. These important purposes are divinely originated and are found in the New Testament.
In what appears to be the closing hours of the present order of things in the light of Scripture, there is mounting concern about the Church’s role. The denominational “Babel,” or doctrinal confusion, is clearly at variance with the major scriptural references to the Church. This “church confusion” had its beginning with the Council of Nicea in A. D. 325 when The Church of God of apostolic times plunged into what history has called the “Dark Ages.”
Church Services Online In Kenosha WI 53142
The faith of the gospel has been committed solely into the hands of the Church and thus the responsibility for keeping and guarding the faith rests upon the Church’s shoulders.
It is The Church of God’s duty to keep the faith pure and unadulterated and to defend it against all enemies. One phase of keeping and guarding the faith is the searching out and putting into operation God’s laws for the Church, the full restoration of the New Testament doctrine and governing principles.
These teachings are all based on the Scripture; they were taught and practiced by the early Church; and they have been searched out in these last days by godly men and women not concerned with their own opinions. However, the Church does not make a “hobby horse” of any one teaching or group of teachings, but accepts the whole Bible rightly divided with the New Testament as the only rule for government and discipline. These teachings of the Church do not constitute a creed or statement of beliefs, for The Church of God accepts the whole Bible as the inspired Word of God.
All those who become members of the Church assume the following obligation:
“Will you sincerely promise in the presence of God and these witnesses that you will accept this Bible as the Word of God—believe and practice its teachings rightly divided—the New Testament as your rule of faith and practice, government and discipline, and walk in the light to the best of your knowledge and ability?” This is a “perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.”
Regeneration is an act of God performed in the justified heart whereby new, spiritual life is generated. Man is dead in trespasses and sin through Adam; he must be quickened or regenerated through Christ. It is a vital part of the plan of salvation by faith. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). Other Scriptures are Matthew 19:28; Ephesians 2:1, 4, 5. Regeneration is simultaneous with the new birth.
Water baptism is the act of being immersed in water according to the commandment and instructions of Christ. This ordinance has no power to wash away sin but is the answer of a good conscience toward God, representing the death, burial and resurrection of Christ through which one has obtained new life. Only those who have already been born again are eligible for water baptism. “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward god,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1Peter 3:21). Water baptism has divine approval only when t it is done “in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Read Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:8-10; John 3:22, 23; Acts 10: 47, 48.
The Spirit-filled life will manifest the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22, 23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is not law.” These virtues cannot be manifested by the flesh or by human nature. They are divine in origin and must spring from a Spirit-filled heart. Read Romans 6:22; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 1:11.
Christ is coming back to earth again. First, to resurrect the dead saints and to catch away the living saints to meet Him in the air, where they will attend the marriage supper of the Lamb. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). Read Matthew 24:27, 28; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52.
Second, to return with the saints to reign on earth a thousand years. “…And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrections” (Revelation 20:4, 5). Read Zechariah 14: 4, 5; Luke 1:32; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Jude 14, 15; Revelation 5:10; 19:11-21.
The Bible expressly forbids the use of intoxicating beverages. Even slight indulgence is sinful and not in keeping with Scriptural standards of holiness. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1). Read also Proverbs 23:29-32; Isaiah 28:7; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:10; Galatians 5:21.
Divorce and remarriage constitute the sin of adultery. Matthew 5:32, “But I say unto you, That whosever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced comitteth adultery.” The only allowable causes for remarriage are fornication and death. However, fornication is not unfaithfulness or simple adultery, but is a state of being married to another’s wife or husband. 1 Corinthians 7:2, “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife.” Read Matthew 5:32; 19:3-9; Mark 10:12; Romans 7:2, 3; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 13; 1 Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:10, 11; Revelation 2:22.