ON MY MIND


LANCE COLKMIRE EDITOR


More Than a Feeling


HOW MANY PEOPLE DROP INTO OUR WORSHIP


SERVICES, SING AND CLAP AND MAYBE EVEN DANCE, BUT DON’T KNOW THE ASCENSION FROM THE SECOND COMING?


W


HILE SITTING in the waiting room of a dentist’s office, I met a 30-something woman


with two kids. She asked about the book I was reading—a Pathway Press title— which opened the door for talking about spiritual matters.


She said she grew up Baptist, but now was attending a Church of God congrega- tion. She explained, “I feel something dif- ferent in Church of God worship—I won’t go back to the Baptist church.” However, she was now dating a life- long Baptist, and they had just begun dis- cussing church. I asked, “Have you talked about doctrine?”


“What’s that?” she replied. “Doctrine is what a church believes and teaches,” I answered. “For instance, Baptists and the Church of God have dif- ferent beliefs about eternal security.” She said, “Well, he believes there are some sins that can’t be forgiven, but I don’t believe that.”


Here was a woman who attends a Church of God congregation because of what she “feels” in the worship experi- ence, yet knows little about the church’s beliefs . . . and really doesn’t seem to care. Is that the new norm? How many people drop into our worship services, sing and clap and maybe even dance, but don’t know the Ascension from the Sec- ond Coming? How many of our attendees could pass a basic 10-question quiz on Church of God teachings? Why don’t you take the quiz with me?


You may contact the editor by writing to him at


lance_colkmire@pathwaypress.org or by calling 423-478-7592.


Questions 1. What does “verbal inspiration of the Bible” mean?


2. Why is God called a “Trinity”? 3. What is repentance, and why is it necessary?


4. How does the “new birth” take place? 5. How does sanctification take place? 6. What is the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit?


7. Why do we administer “water bap- tism by immersion” instead of by sprinkling?


8. Explain the statement, “Divine healing is provided for all in the Atonement.”


9. Besides water baptism, what two sacraments does the Church of God observe?


10. Who will “reign on earth a thousand years”?


Answers 1. Men write the Bible under the direc- tion of the Holy Spirit.


2. God is three persons in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.


3. Repentance is turning away from sin and turning to God. It is necessary because we all have sinned.


4. Through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ


5. Through the blood of Christ, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit


6. Speaking in tongues through the Spirit’s enablement


7. Baptism by immersion symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.


8. Healing is one of the benefits result- ing from Christ’s death and resur- rection.


9. Communion and foot washing


10. Jesus Christ and His saints Sound Teaching


Solomon told his son, “I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my instruction” (Prov. 4:2 NASB). The Church of God teaches sound doctrine, solidly based on God’s Word. We must know it, believe it, practice it, and pass it on.


EVANGEL | November 2010 3


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