Shingles
© 2003 Phyllis D. Jolliff
All Rights Reserved
The title got your attention, didn’t it!? No, I’m not talking about that awful skin irritation. No, I’m not talking about the things that cover the roof of the house. I’m talking about the proverbial one hanging on church doors. You know the ones. They have the name of the church and generally include the denomination, also.
Most of us were raised knowing one “doctrine” or another. Some believe in one thing, others believe in another. Some were even told that one denomination was the only one going to heaven. But which one is right?
I’ve been doing some soul searching…and Bible searching. Know what I found? Two scriptures that really stood out. First, 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.” The other is found in Hebrews 10:25: Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Neither one of those scriptures say anything about a certain denomination being right or wrong. In fact, I couldn’t find any denominations listed in the Bible. It says, “forsake not the assembling,” but doesn’t say got to the Assembly of God. It says, “repent and be baptized,” but doesn’t say to be Baptist. Of course, it, also, says the disciples were in “one accord,” but I don’t think it meant they were in a Honda!
Now, I’m not picking on any denomination. You see, the simple fact is, Jesus said that the ONLY way to the Father is through Him. There is NO other way for us to get to God, except through Jesus. We meet together to encourage one another in our faith. The old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together,” is so true. There are as many different types of churches as there are different types of people…because God made us all different.
So you see, it doesn’t matter what the “shingle on the door” says. As long as that church is teaching that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father, then they are most likely on the right track…the path to Heaven. Just remember that we all need our fellow Christians to encourage us in our faith. The real mission of “The Church” is to reach souls and encourage one another. No matter what the “shingle” says!
Most of us were raised knowing one “doctrine” or another. Some believe in one thing, others believe in another. Some were even told that one denomination was the only one going to heaven. But which one is right?
I’ve been doing some soul searching…and Bible searching. Know what I found? Two scriptures that really stood out. First, 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.” The other is found in Hebrews 10:25: Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Neither one of those scriptures say anything about a certain denomination being right or wrong. In fact, I couldn’t find any denominations listed in the Bible. It says, “forsake not the assembling,” but doesn’t say got to the Assembly of God. It says, “repent and be baptized,” but doesn’t say to be Baptist. Of course, it, also, says the disciples were in “one accord,” but I don’t think it meant they were in a Honda!
Now, I’m not picking on any denomination. You see, the simple fact is, Jesus said that the ONLY way to the Father is through Him. There is NO other way for us to get to God, except through Jesus. We meet together to encourage one another in our faith. The old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together,” is so true. There are as many different types of churches as there are different types of people…because God made us all different.
So you see, it doesn’t matter what the “shingle on the door” says. As long as that church is teaching that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father, then they are most likely on the right track…the path to Heaven. Just remember that we all need our fellow Christians to encourage us in our faith. The real mission of “The Church” is to reach souls and encourage one another. No matter what the “shingle” says!