Church of God Ministries - Anderson, Indiana

Next Week: Jimmy Dooley @ Home Ave First Church Of God in Trenton, OH

Home Ave First Church of God / Welcome / Welcome

New blog written by Dave McCowan - The Belief & History of the Church of God Reformation Movement Blog # 110 “Holiness Revisited” Have you ever wondered why or how some who are faithful to a certain church or religion live lives that seem to be ungodly? There are those who call themselves Christians and use curse words without any remorse, and partake of habits that seem to be contrary to how a Christian ought to behave. This is a touchy subject but I will try to shed some light on the subject. The main point of Christianity is godly holiness, and holiness can be defined as godly behavior. Do you know there are those who are considered holiness believers and there are those believers who are not considered holiness believers? I know it sounds odd to those of us in the Church of God Reformation Movement to say there are believers who are not considered holiness believers. Most non-holiness and holiness believers believe in the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit). The most distinct and clear difference between the two beliefs is the teaching about God the Spirit (The Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit is involved in the teaching, practice, and even prayers of many but not to the extent that the Holy Spirit produces holiness in the lives of the believer. When I think about those who believe in the Holy Spirit but do not allow the Holy Spirit to change their lives, I think about 2 Timothy 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” The New Living Translation says “They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” I need to point out that verse 4 of 2 Timothy 3 lists several very grievous things that these people are doing that Timothy is encouraging the believers to stay away from. On the other hand, the scripture does say “having a form of godliness.” And, a form of godliness would be a form of religion. The scripture goes on to say these who have a form of godliness deny the power thereof. The power Timothy is referring to is the power of the Holy Spirit or godliness working in a person’s life. The Holy Spirit gives believers the power to live a holy life. Many seem to go through the motions of acknowledging a faith but do no allow it to change their behavior. In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” It is one thing to talk the faith and another thing to walk the faith. We cannot walk the faith without the power of the Holy Spirit living in our life. How can one realize the power of the Holy Spirit working in one’s life? First, one must be saved. Simply put, one must ask God through Jesus Christ to forgive their sin. Then there must be an awareness and openness to the working of the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:13 says “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” And Acts 1:8 says “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” http://www.homeavechurch.org/ www.trentonchog.org

Home Ave First Church of God / Welcome / Welcome

New Blog written by Dave McCowan - The Belief & History of the Church of God Reformation Movement Blog # 109 “Living the Good Life” I am convinced that there is no better way to live life than to live in a right relationship with God and others. Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” How about I take this scripture and state the first part in the negative and the last part in the positive for the sake of emphasis. It would read something like this “Without Jesus there is no way, no truth, and no life,” and “anyone can come to God through Jesus Christ.” Jesus says in John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (KJV)” The New Living Translation says Jesus came to give us a “rich and satisfying life.” The New International Version say Jesus came that “we might have life, and have it to the full.” In light of the scripture I just presented and the topic of living the good life, I would like to offer 7 ways to live the good life: Look for the good in life, or better yet look for God. He promises He will always be there. Trust God to take care of you. God promises He will take care of you. God is trustworthy. Expect the best not the worst. You may want to prepare for the worst, but always seek to expect the best. God promises He wants the best for us. Don’t lose hope. Hope is a gift from God that can’t be taken away, we can only give it up. Guard your peace. God promises us peace during storms and trials. Enjoy the peace while things are turbulent all around you. Express gratitude. Practice the art of giving thanks for all things and in all things. Experience joy. Allow yourself to experience the joy that comes only from the God. Joy is much deeper and richer than happiness. Happiness comes and goes with circumstances but the joy of the Lord remains. Today I am feeling blessed and full of gratitude. I don’t know of any special reason for feeling this way other than I am spending time reflecting on my past, my current realities, and my future hopes. I trust this blog has lifted you up and encouraged you to live the good life. Living the good life is the only way to live if you are a Christian. http://www.homeavechurch.org/?view=mobile www.trentonchog.org

Home Ave First Church of God / Welcome / Welcome

New blog written by Dave McCowan - The Belief & History of the Church of God Reformation Movement Blog # 108 “Temptation- The Way Out” Temptation is a bit more complicated than it first appears. I often feel guilty when I am tempted, but I know that I am not guilty of sinning unless I give in to temptation and do the thing I am tempted to do. So, one of the big issues with temptation is to realize that temptation in and of itself is not a sin. In my discussion of temptation, it is important to emphasize that man has free will or free choice. When it comes to temptation, man has the choice of being faithful to God or unfaithful to God. Of course, I am writing about a Christian when I write about choosing to be faithful to God during temptation. I would say the lost experience temptation, but I will save that for another blog. This blog will address how God provides Christians a way out of temptation, and how He provides a way out of sin if anyone yields to temptation. First, let’s look at how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. Matthew 4:1 says “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” The devil was tempting Jesus for the purpose of causing Him to sin. Jesus did not yield to sin because He was also God. The temptation was real, and Jesus demonstrated His power as the Son of God to resist the devil. Temptation is not sin and does not have to lead to sin. Hebrews 4:15 points out that Jesus the great high priest was tempted as we are and did not sin. The scripture says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” I am thankful for what I Corinthians 10:13 promises to every believer “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” What a promise!!! God is faithful. He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. He will provide a way out of temptation. On the other hand, if one does yield to temptation God has provided a way out of sin. John writes in I John 2:1 “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” Please note that John emphasizes that his focus is on holiness and avoidance of sin. But, he says if anyone does sin he or she has an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. I greatly appreciate how John calls Jesus both an advocate and the Righteous One. As our advocate, Jesus, the Righteous One, pleads our case before the Father. Please know that temptation is not sin or does it have to lead to sin. God has made a way through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to remain faithful to Him during temptation. God has also made a way out of sin through Jesus Christ if anyone does yield to temptation and sins. http://www.homeavechurch.org/?view=mobile www.trentonchog.org

Home Ave First Church of God / Welcome / Welcome

New Blog written by Dave McCowan - The Belief & History of the Church of God Reformation Movement Blog #107 “The Church Should be Welcoming to all People” I am convinced the Church should be one of the most welcoming places that we go to all week long. By welcoming, I mean the church should be a place where people are friendly, considerate, and kind to each other. In the Church of God, we refer to ourselves by many different terms of endearment. Some of these terms are the fellowship of believers, family of God, brothers and sisters, the blood bought ones. These terms all refer to those who have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. The Church, the body of Christ, is only made up of born again believers. The Church, the place where born again believers gather to worship and praise God is different than the Church as the body of Christ and all people should be made to feel welcome. The church, as a congregation of believers, is not a select group of special people who accept some people and reject others. Non-believers should be welcome into the congregation. Believers should never make a non-believer feel as though he or she does not belong. It seems some believers are willing to accept family and friends who are non-believers into the congregation and are more selective when it comes to non-believers they do not know. That is just plain wrong. It seems to me that one of the greatest threats to believers being welcoming to non-believers is the idea about who owns the church. Jesus says in Matthew 16:19 “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” This scripture clearly states that the church belongs to Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I will build my church.” Unless we get confused, this is referring to the one true church not the church as a congregation. Therefore, the congregation, the church building where believers worship is not the true church Jesus is referring. If I believe Jesus Christ is building His church (and I do), and that the only way I can get into His church is by being born again, then I believe the place where I worship belongs to Him. Don’t you think believers can be somewhat like the disciples who tried to stop parents who were bringing children to Jesus for Him to pray for when non-believers are not welcomed into church? Non- believers should not only be welcomed into the church, they should be encouraged to come. One of the best ways to make non-believers welcome in the church is for believers to be friendly and welcoming toward each other, while not ignoring the non-believer. It takes the spirit of Christ to discern how much attention to give a non-believer. A non-believer can be driven away by too much attention as easily as by not feeling welcomed. I recommend being real and genuine with our welcoming attitude toward all people. www.homeavechurch.org/ www.trentonchog.org

Home Ave First Church of God / Welcome / Welcome

New Blog written by Dave McCowan - The Belief & History of the Church of God Reformation Movement Blog # 106 “Anointing with Oil” One of the main practices of faith that is regularly observed in and out of a Church of God congregation is the anointing of the sick with oil. In our Sunday morning worship, we often have someone ask to be anointed because he or she is sick or for someone who is sick. The one asking for anointing comes to the front of the church while several others, who believe in the power of prayer to heal the sick, gather around while the pastor or someone anoints the person with oil. We then lay hands on the person and pray a prayer of faith asking God to heal in the name of Jesus Christ. James 5; 14 asks this question “Is anyone among you sick?” and then says, “Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” Then in James 5:15 there is a twofold promise; a promise of healing and forgiveness “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” I like to think of this twofold promise as a promise of wholeness. Wow! What a promise! I often think of anointing as healing for sickness when God’s desire is that we be whole. I wonder how often we ask for less than what God wants to give us. Healing from sickness is great, but healing from sickness and sin is even better. James 5:16 then moves the focus from the individual to the community of believers. James 5:16 says “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” I think it is almost more difficult to confess sins to each other than it is to confess them to God. But, note this is a condition for healing. James 5:16 ends with one of my favorite scriptures; “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” I guess it would be fair to say the prayer of an unrighteous person is powerless and not so effective. It is great to know that a person who has been made right with God and his or her fellow believer is able to pray a powerful prayer that is effective or as some would say “gets the job done.” I am thankful that we in the Church of God Reformation Movement have seen the truth of anointing with oil and the confessing of sins to God and each other. If you are sick and have never been anointed and prayed for, all you need to do is ask and we in the church will be glad to anoint you and pray the prayer of faith over you. This anointing can take place in front of the church, in your home, or at the hospital bed. www.homeavechurch.org www.trentonchog.org

Timeline Photos

Home Ave First Church of God / Welcome / Welcome

New Blog written by Dave McCowan - The Belief & History of the Church of God Reformation Movement Blog # 105 “Foot Washing” This Thursday, Maunday Thursday, the Thursday before Easter our church will gather for a worship service that includes communion and foot washing. We will sing hymns, pray, and read scripture. Then the pastor will give directions about taking communion or the Lord’s Supper. After we have taken communion, the pastor will read John 13 and explain how Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and how we ought to wash one another’s feet. Then the men will go to the basement of the church to wash feet and the women will go to the fellowship hall to wash feet. We men fill the water bowls, take off our shoes and socks, take a towel, and kneel to wash one of the brother’s feet. When we finish washing feet, we stand and hug each other with a warm friendly embrace. Then we talk for a bit about how good God has been to us and sometimes we share about experiences at previous foot washings. The evening is capped off with us singing together. Several years ago, I heard Pastor Claude Robold (then pastor of the New Covenant Church) preach about how foot washing was an expression of love. I have heard sermons about how foot washing is an act of obedience, but not so much as an expression of love. Pastor Robold said foot washing is an expression of love toward God and the one whose feet we wash. Wow!!! I am almost blow away by how practicing foot washing is a simple, practical way to express our love to God and others. I know I look for ways to express my love to God and others and often come up short. Oh, I know I can practice foot washing out of obligation or wrong motives and not express my love to God and others. Jesus says in John 13 that if you know these things (foot washing) and you do them you will be happy. The New International Versions of the Bible presents this scripture this way “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” I desire to be a blessing to God and others. I can truthfully say that I desire to receive a blessing from God and others. Foot washing is just one way of expressing love for God and others. And, when we express our love we can be sure that we will receive a blessing. We should not express our love out of the motive to receive a blessing. Our love should be expressed out of sincere love and gratitude for God and what He has done and is doing. The same goes for how and why we express our love for others. www.homeavechurch.org www.trentonchog.org

Edgewood Ministerial Association

Home Ave First Church of God / Welcome / Welcome

New Blog written by Dave McCowan - The Belief & History of the Church of God Reformation Movement Blog # 104 “Life and Eternal Life” Today, I am thinking about life and eternal life because one of the dear brothers in Christ from our Church just passed from this life to eternal life with God in Heaven. It seems strange to write passed from this life to eternal life because if I am not careful I spend more time thinking about this life than I do the eternal life. When Job was reflecting on his life and his troubles in this life he said “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). Then in James 4:14 the Word of God says “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Most of us have stood beside a campfire and watched the sparks fly upward. The flame may be hot as the sparks burst forth and fly away to only disappear. Some of you will remember the tea pots used to boil water. When the water would reach a boiling point, the water turns to steam and pushes open the spout cover. Oh, how quickly the steam from the tea pot would rise and disappear. Does is seem a bit depressing to think of life as being like a spark that flies up and disappears or a vapor or mist that quickly disappears? It does to me until I think of life in relationship to God and eternal life. To speak of life as a spark or vapor, is to speak of life here and now in terms of time or duration. I think now would be a good time to think of life in terms of quality. In John 10:10, Jesus says “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The New International Version (NIV) translates abundance as full. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10, NIV). Yes, this life may be short or brief in comparison to eternity, but the quality of life is what counts. This quality I am referring to can only be found in a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If we have a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ in the here and now life, then we will be prepared for an eternal life with God and all those who have gone on before us in Heaven. John 14:1 says “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” The disciples were troubled because Jesus told them He was going away. Jesus tells His disciples not to fear based on the foundational truth of the gospel, and that is that He and God are one. The foundational truth that Jesus and God are one is important for us to believe today. Then Jesus says in John 14:2 “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” I am glad there is a place for each one of us in the Father’s house or Heaven; and Jesus is preparing that place for us right now. It overwhelms me to think of Jesus (the co-creator of this world) preparing a place in Heaven for me and you. Wow!!! That is going to be some more special place. Whereas, life with God though Jesus Christ here and now is more than time and duration it is abundant; eternal life with God through Jesus Christ is more than time it is full of quality time with God and other born again believers. It does me good to think about Heaven in light of the burdens and sorrows of this life. www.homeavechurch.org www.trentonchog.org

Bible Study is cancelled for tonight April 5th due to the threat of severe weather.