Author: Brother Bill

The True Church of God

On By Brother BillIn Uncategorized7 Comments

Jesus asked His apostles this question: “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered Peter and said, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:17-18

We don’t find this conversation in the gospel of John; however, in John’s gospel, we find Jesus giving wonderful illumination as to the meaning and understanding to His words of building His church upon a rock. In John, Jesus makes the words, “My church” into the more personal, “My fold”. In the building of it, Jesus gives a prophetic picture of His work: He will gather from the Jews, His sheep; and He will also gather other sheep which are not of that fold, which would be the Gentiles (not Jewish).

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and they know Me. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd…My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” John 10:14-16, 27-30

I was a devout Catholic the first 30 years of my life. I began being indoctrinated on Catholic teaching and practices at the ripe age of six. And one of the very first things I was taught was that the Roman Catholic Church was the true church, and Martin Luther was a heretic, and all protestants were going to Hell. I was also taught that to ever attend any protestant church service, was a sin that would send me to Hell.

I was taught that the pope was like God on earth, and the local priest was next to him. I believed in the Catholic Church and everything that it taught and practiced, including not reading a Bible. I grew up believing everything I was taught, without questioning anything. If you indoctrinate a child early enough, they will never question what you teach them.

Right after I turned 29, a horrible fear came over me, that if I died, I would go straight to Hell. At that time, I was married and we had three children. My wife was raised up in a Pentecostal church, and so every Sunday, I would go to Mass, and then attend Sunday School with her. But neither her church, nor the priest were saying anything to address my fears, which, by the way, were 24/7. My fears persisted for many months, and I didn’t know what to do about them.

One Friday, on the way home from work, I stopped at a small Christian bookstore to see if I could maybe find a book to help me. I walked over to a bookshelf that had a whole shelf of paperback books. As I randomly ran my finger across the titles, my eyes caught the title, “The Secret of Happiness” by Billy Graham. At the time, I had never heard of him, but I liked the title and purchased it.

That evening, I went to bed early and began to read the book. From the opening page, it seemed to be speaking to me. I read many pages but had to stop since I had to get up early the next morning for work. The next day at work, what I had read stayed with me, and I could hardly wait to pick up where I had left off.

That night, I again went to bed early and began reading the book. Within a few pages, I came to this statement: “If you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, there’s no point in reading the rest of this book.” Immediately, my 30 years (I had just turned 30) flashed in front of me: I had been very religious, but that was the one thing I had never done.

I got out of bed, shut the door, and knelt at the foot of my bed and told God I was sorry for my sins and wanted Jesus to be my Savior. (Just that short). Well, the room was so quiet, so I told God that I didn’t hear anything, I didn’t feel anything, but just to make sure that He understood what I was wanting to do, I repeated those same words, and as I was getting up, I said very plainly, “God, I’ve come as far as I can go, the rest is up to you.”

I got back in bed and began to read my book. About 20 minutes later, all of a sudden, I knew my sins were forgiven, and a peace and joy came over me that surely passed all of my understanding. God and Jesus became real to me, and it was like I was all alone with Jesus. I began to praise the Lord and thank Jesus, which never in my life had I done. When my wife came to bed, I tried to explain to her what happened, and she said, Bill, you got saved. It was a good while before I read about being born again.

The next morning, I knew I would never return to the Catholic Church. I went to my wife’s church, and as soon as I stepped inside, I loved everybody. I joined her church, and began to be taught what they believed. I also started reading the Bible and memorizing Scripture. Later I felt the call to preach, and so I began to diligently study God’s word, and also what her Church taught. As time passed, I realized that some of their foundational teachings, which they insisted be preached, weren’t biblical. Their number one teaching was that they were the true church of God, the only bride of Christ. I loved the people, but had to depart.

I came upon the Church of Christ, which at first glance, seemed to be where I wanted to be. Their theme was: “We speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent.” As I got into their teaching, they taught they were the true church, and everyone else was going to Hell. Well, within 6 months, after telling them what I thought, I was basically booted out.

I began attending other denominations, serving and preaching, but all the while, I came to realize that in most churches, folks don’t read or study their Bibles; they’re content with what they’ve been taught, right or wrong, hit or miss. In my later years, I was asked to pastor a small, country, Southern Baptist church. I ministered there 16 ½ years. It was there I learned how deep seated, folks’ unbiblical beliefs can be.

I’ll just give one example that is most prominent in my mind. I had preached on water baptism one Sunday morning. At the end of the service, as people were leaving, one of the most prominent ladies in our congregation came up to me and said: “I don’t believe what you preached this morning.” I replied, “Well, its Bible.” To which she said, “I don’t care what the Bible says, that’s not what Southern Baptists believe!”

I have said all of this just to hopefully make one point: Jesus is still building His church; His church is not a particular denomination, and certainly not an apostate church. Jesus’ church—His flock, His body, His bride, is made up of those who have been born again. I’m satisfied that His sheep can be found in many places around the world.

I’m also sure that where Jesus’ sheep are, there you will find plenty of goats and wolves to try to mess them up. But here’s something to ponder on: All of God’s children have the Spirit of Truth abiding in them: they believe in the Jesus of the Bible. The virgin-born Son of God, who from eternity past was the Word of God. They all believe Jesus died for us and paid for our sins with His precious blood.

They all believe Jesus died, was buried, and raised from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God, as Lord. They all believe He is preparing a home for us, and one day, hopefully very soon, will return to catch us away and give us glorious, incorruptible, immortal bodies.

God help the members of the church of God to honor Christ in their walk, and to love one another as Christ loved us, as we wait for His return. This is the true church of God.

Brother Bill Oldham       bboldham@sbcglobal.net

The Doorkeepers by Brother Bill Oldham

On By Brother BillIn Uncategorized3 Comments

“…A day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10

          Almost thirty five years ago, a movement began that over the years, has captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of men; it’s called Promise Keepers. I make mention of this only to point out that God has not called you to make and keep promises, but rather to believe and trust in Him keeping His promises. God has however, called you to be a keeper.

          If you are a child of God, the Spirit of God lives in you, and your body is a temple of the living God. And God has called you to diligently be the doorkeeper of that temple.

“…your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own. You have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

          In the new birth, Christ takes up residence in you through His Holy Spirit. And because of that these old clay bodies become temples of the priceless presence of the Holy Trinity of God. And you are tasked with keeping the door to that temple. That is, you are to watch that nothing enters in that would defile or offend the Father and Jesus.

          God’s temple is to be kept holy at all times, and we are charged to keep it that way. So, how do we do that?

          First, there is the negative side of our responsibility. We must remain sober and vigilant as to what cannot be allowed to come through the door; our eyes and ears are the door to the temple. When we look at ungodly, obscene things, we are allowing the very things that God hates to enter in and defile His temple.

I recently read the results of a poll taken among professing Christians: both lay people and pastors. The question asked was: did they watch pornography, and how often. The results were shocking! A large percentage of both lay people and pastors admitted to watching porn on a regular basis. The word of God exhorts us:

“…Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

          The word of God warns us:

“…Fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetousness man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.” Ephesians 5:3-7

          Make no mistake, when you choose to allow the unclean, filthiness of the world to come through the doors of God’s temple, you are effectively removing Jesus from being the Lord of His temple, and offering your body to the devil for his use.

          But, there is also the positive side of being a doorkeeper to the temple. When Jesus came to the temple of God, He drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and drove out the money changers. Jesus said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’” Matthew 21:12-13

          (I’ll stick to my thought and refrain from applying this to the rich televangelists.)

          As doorkeepers, we must watch that prayer, supplications, along with thanksgiving is the main thing that takes place in the temple. God is always present in His temple; so He is a very present help in time of trouble. And not only that but, “…the Spirit helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26

          As doorkeepers, we must watch that the temple is filled with the fragrant aroma of Christ’s offering, which is a love that passes all understanding. It is a sacrificial love that always places the welfare and good of others before ourselves. This was Jesus’ command to His church:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

          The true temple of God, both individually, and corporately, is identified by this one distinguishing mark—our love for one another as Christ loved us. It is a love that proceeds from the Father and the Son, and is spread abroad in the hearts of His children. It is a love that loves what God loves, and hates what God hates.

Interesting thought here: take any congregation of any denomination, from a mega church to a small country church. I wonder how many display the one mark that says they are disciples of Christ?

The doorkeeper of the temple must quench any sounds that arise in the temple that would grieve the heart of the Lord of the temple. Sounds such as, grumbling, murmuring, complaining, gossiping, angry words, obscene words, curse words.

If the doorkeeper will find favor and reward for his watchfulness, he will see that the temple is filled with praise and thanksgiving. “God is good all the time” will be heard coming from the temple. “Great is Thy faithfulness”, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come”, along with the countless praises we may offer to God, will be echoing throughout the chambers of the temple.

Above all, the doorkeeper is going to be watching for Jesus to come; and will make certain that the lamp that awaits the Lord’s return, has plenty of oil and is kept burning.

Let us strive to be faithful, willing doorkeepers!

Brother Bill Oldham            bboldham@sbcglobal.net

“Everything Is All Right” by Brother Bill Oldham

On By Brother BillIn Uncategorized

There is a story in the Old Testament that demonstrates faith during a time of great adversity. A woman was childless and her husband was old. This couple befriended the prophet Elisha, taking care of him when he was in their town. As a way of repaying their kindness, Elisha blessed the woman by granting her and her husband to have a child.

Several years later, the boy became sick and died. The mother sent word to her husband to send her a donkey and a servant, for she needed to head for the prophet quickly and then return. Naturally, her husband was puzzled as to why the rush, and why that day, for he didn’t know his son had died. And so he asked her, “Why?” By faith, she answered him: “It will be all right”, and off she went. The end of her faith: Elisha came and brought the boy back to life.

There’s another story that demonstrates that same faith in God. A strong king had been secretly planning to attack the nation of Israel. But every time he planned an attack, the king of Israel found out about it and foiled his plans. Now the king decided there must be a traitor in the camp. But one of his advisors told him that there was no traitor. The problem was, he explained, the prophet Elisha: “He knows everything you are planning.”

The king decided to capture Elisha. He found out where he was, gathered a massive army, and surrounded the town where Elisha was staying. Early in the morning, Elisha’s servant went outside and saw that a mighty enemy army had them surrounded. The servant cried out to Elisha, “What are we going to do?” And basically, the prophet replied: “Don’t be afraid! For there are more on our side than on theirs. Everything is going to be alright.” And it was! God had surrounded the enemy’s army with His army of horses and fiery Chariots.

We now come forward to our day, and the perilous, evil days in which we live. Daily we hear of wars and rumors of war; of violence all over the world; the weather has become increasingly violent in every way.

We constantly read of men and woman plotting wickedness against us, and the workings of the ravenous wolves in the church of God grows daily.

What are the children of God to think? What are we to do? Our answer must be one of faith, and not sight: “Everything is all right!” If we know the truth of God’s word, it gives us that faith. What do we know?

“…We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren.” Romans 8:28-29

Here, we see by faith, something the world can’t see. All that the world can see is, the total chaos, violence, and the workings of evil, corrupt minds and hearts taking place in the world today. But the children of God have the Holy Spirit in them, and He gives us through God’s word, 20/20 vision. We know that the arch enemy of our souls intimidates, harasses, aggravates, and oppresses us; and in many countries, persecutes, imprisons, and kills God’s children; we know that.

But God’s children know this: “…Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, not height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

By faith, we can confidently say, “Everything is all right”, because we know that God, in love, “…has predestined us to adoption as sons by Christ Jesus to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will…” Ephesians 1:5

We know that God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of Jesus. What that means is simply this: that our Father in Heaven is God Almighty. He has plans for you and I; great plans; plans for our everlasting future in the ages to come. “…He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…” Ephesians 3:20

For every one of His children, our Father has the wisdom, spiritual understanding, love, and power to make ALL THINGS work together for the eternal good of them. God demonstrated this truth vividly, when He gave up His only begotten Son to the horror of crucifixion. Because Jesus trusted in His Father’s love, and set His heart on doing the Father’s will, Jesus Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand today as LORD of all!

Regardless of what the world, the flesh and the devil may throw at us, we can confidently say: “Everything is all right!” That takes care of the outside of our life. But there is something else we know.

“…It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

On the outside, we know our Father is turning the enemy’s arrows into golden rods for us. But we also know that our Father through the Holy Spirit, is working on the inside of us as well. For just as the enemy comes against us to destroy us without, we have an unseen enemy within—our flesh. And here’s what we need to know about our flesh:

“…I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Romans 7:18

God is working on the outside for the good of His children, but He is also working on the inside for our good, transforming our desires, and giving us the power to live and walk as children in whom He is well pleased. Our Father never stops working in us. He is always at work to remove all that would defile the image of Christ; He is ever busy to mold and fashion us into His image. And so, in all our trials and tribulations, we know our Father is working for us and in us. How can everything not be all right? And so we may say:

“…Outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

To say “Everything is all right” means everything is all right between the Father and His children. By faith we know what our Father is faithfully doing. But then, what is my part in all this? Two words of exhortation to God’s children who know the truth:

“…Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Trust God and obey Him, for there’s no other way.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, let us fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

If we will pray always and not lose heart, if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, and renew our minds daily in His word, we may assuredly say, everything is all right.

Brother Bill Oldham    bboldham@sbcglobal.net

Hold Fast To The Head

On By Brother BillIn Uncategorized4 Comments

By Brother Bill Oldham

“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” Colossians 2:18-19

The apostle Paul was engaged in a great spiritual battle when he wrote these words. He knew that ravaging wolves were trying to work their way into the flock at the church in Colossae; they were trying to introduce lies that would turn the sheep away from their Shepherd; to turn the child of God away from the Father: to turn the bride away from her husband; to turn the Christian away from Christ. And, make no mistake: the wolves are still working to destroy the church of God today.

The success of the wolves’ deception depends on two things: (1) The Devil’s ability to so alter their appearance and manner that they look like preachers sent straight from God. Here’s how Jesus described them:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:15-20

The apostle Paul says this:

“…Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15

So the wolves are going to appear as the real deal: eloquent, charming, smooth talkers, charismatic people with winning ways. WOW! How in the world could a person know for sure that they were not being spiritually seduced by a wolf? How may we discern whether their fruit is good or bad? Their success depends on, (2) people’s ignorance of God’s word, the Scriptures. God’s word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path. Without the discernment that God’s word gives: the wolves are able to ravage the flock

What is the Devil’s agenda in all this? If we look at the agenda of the Devil in the Garden, we’ll see that his agenda hadn’t changed at the church in Collosae, and he continues to work it in the church today at full force.

God made man in His own image and likeness so there could be unity, relationship and fellowship between man and God: The Lord God was going to elevate man to a position with Himself that no other created being would ever hold. When Lucifer saw this, out of pride and jealousy, he determined to undermine and destroy God’s plan. Through skillful deception, he was able to bring sin and death into the world: ending God’s plans—he thought!

But God had other thoughts, and He put a hook into Satan’s mind by telling him what he was going to do to him without any details. “I’m going to bring a Seed from the woman that’s going to crush your head.”

When the Lord promised Abraham that the Seed was going to come from his lineage, the Devil was immediately filled with a hatred for Abraham and his family. And that hatred continues to this very hour as evidenced by the Devil’s children around the world. Until Christ came on the scene, the Devil was in the dark as to who the Seed would be.

When Christ was born, the Devil was allowed to know this was the promised Seed that would crush his head. And so he set out vigorously to kill the Seed before the Seed could crush him, as seen in King Herod’s slaughter of the children. It seems as though the Father then hid His Son in the lowly village of Nazareth for 30 years, excepting His appearance in the temple when He was 12.

When Jesus was baptized, the Devil then fired up his children to destroy Him anyway he could. He began his work by the personal temptations in the wilderness. When that didn’t work, he put his hate into his children, and put them to work to persecute, harass, hound and finally execute Jesus in the most cruel method known to man. The Devil thought he had surely succeeded in destroying the Seed of God.

But all of what the Devil and rulers of this world had accomplished at Calvary was simply to deliver Jesus to the, “determined purpose and foreknowledge of God.” Paul said that what happened to Jesus was ordained of God, according to the wisdom of God, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. 1 Corinthians 2:6-8

We sinners, the Jewish leaders, and the Roman soldiers all caused Jesus to be crucified, but the prophet Isaiah declares that it was the Lord who was responsible for Jesus’ death.

“…The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all… it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When you make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed…” Isaiah 53:6-10

“Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible…He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence…in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” Colossians 1:15-2:10

So what was the devil’s agenda in the Colossae church, and what is it today? One and the same: to seduce the child of God away from Christ. In Paul’s day, the wolves were teaching the flock that faith in Christ was not enough; they had to basically become a Jewish convert to be saved. But then some came in teaching that they had “special revelation”, which only the privileged few had access to.

They were teaching them to pray to angels, and they were teaching them to physically abuse themselves to control their fleshly desires. They were teaching them that the flesh and the spirit were disconnected so that they could indulge in their fleshly lusts and it didn’t affect their spiritual life. All of which was designed to turn them from holding fast onto Christ.

What do we see alive and well in the church world? How about praying to dead people for starters; elevating dead people as the ones to pray to and find help? God has elevated Christ to the highest position in heaven; Jesus is Lord over all in heaven and on earth; He is Head over all. And God’s word plainly tells us we have free and bold access to God the Father through Jesus at all times.

How about pastors openly advocating and teaching their congregants to lay the Bible aside? Jesus Christ is the living Word of God; the Scriptures, God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are inseparable.

How about “pastors and teachers” embracing and promoting same-sex marriage; and DEI, and abortion?

Its really this simple: the modern church, the Laodicean church has believed the lie and has welcomed the world into its midst, embracing its treasures and pleasures—and has left Christ standing on the outside.

Paul said he struggled greatly against this in his day; God’s children can do no less. The devil’s great deception and the church world’s acceptance of it now is setting the stage for the worldwide acceptance and welcoming of the antichrist when he appears.

What are the children of God to do at this present time: Hold fast to the Head, who is Christ. Deny your pleasure loving life and devote yourself to prayer and God’s word. Hold fast to Christ by loving as Christ loved; serve one another wholeheartedly; renew your minds that you may have the same mind as Christ; seek to live and walk as Jesus did.

Hold Fast to Jesus, for He is coming!

Brother Bill Oldham            bboldham@sbcglobal.net