Dear Bro. Eli,

Good day. I am happy to see this site attached by a friend in an e-mail.

I would like to ask you the following questions:

1. My husband is working as a dealer in a casino; is it okay, or do you have any advice on the matter?

2. Do you have policies if you become a member of the congregation? (Please correct me if I’m wrong.)

3. Do you form organizations that would help street-children, and others? Thank you for reading and I really am looking forward to meeting you in person.

God bless us all.

Lovely

Dear Lovely,

If you can find an organization without any ‘inner policies’ or have policies but does not implement them, such an organization is not of God.

In the Church of God, it is a doctrine that everything being done inside the Church must be done decently and in order.

(1 Corinthians 14:40) “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

There are sanctions for those who will not follow this policy of doing things in order.

(2 Thessalonians 3:6-8) “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man’s bread for naught; but wrought with labor and travail night and day, that we might not be chargable to any of you:”

And if anyone in the Church will blatantly disobey the rules and order wanted by God to be observed, excommunication follows ,after the first and second admonition.

(Titus 3:10) “A man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject;”

Who are those to be excommunicated?

(1 Corinthians 5:11-13) “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

We must not physically harm anyone who does not want to follow the teachings of Christ as what the Catholic Church has done. They murdered alleged heretics, (which I believe are not heretics) who did not want to accept their erroneous teachings. If the RCC were the true church, they would have excommunicated them; but I am sorry to hear that defenders of the Catholic faith even justify the criminal acts of their leaders.

What is disgusting is that these religions in our time do not excommunicate those enumerated by the Apostle Paul in the aforesaid verses, but allow them their misdeeds, thereby spoiling others and their entire flock as a whole.

(Romans 1:32) “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

To preserve the holiness of the Church, discipline must be followed. If a wrongdoer who does not wish to be renewed by following God’s word is not excommunicated, he will spoil the good conduct of other people in the Church.

(1 Corinthians 15:23) “Do not be deceived; evil companionships corrupt good habits.” MKJV

Considering this biblical wisdom, we must believe that in the true Church there are really policies to be followed.

One of the most important policies of the true Church of God is to extend help and care possible to the less fortunate in society, and continue in piety or holiness.

(James 1:27) “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

The word translated as ‘visit’ in the preceding verse is —

ἐπισκέπτομαι

episkeptomai

ep-ee-skep’-tom-ahee;

Middle voice from G1909 and the base of G4649; to inspect, that is, (by implication) to select; by extension to go to see, relieve: – look out, visit.

Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

Dictionaries of Hebrew and Greek Words taken from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., 1890.

ἐπισκέπτομαι

"Episkeptomai" means to see and relieve, meaning to look for – to help. This is one of the primary projects of the Church of God, International. In the Philippines, we maintain orphanages, charity homes, and clinics serving the needs of the less fortunate — FREE OF CHARGE!

(Matthew 10:7-8) “And as ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”

Even spiritual services rendered to members and non-members of the Church are free ,like baptism, marriage counseling, marriage ceremonies, Bible studies, and the like.

I am happy to hear from people like you that have concern and care for others. There are not many people in the world now who cares! Have you heard of the saying, “Who cares?” There are very few of them who care. And I thank God you are one of them.

Regarding your question about your husband, all I can say is, it is an essence of the true religion in James 1:27 to “keep ourselves unspotted from the world.”

May God lead you to the path of righteousness you are long searching for.

God bless,

EFS