Welcome to the website for The Good Tidings! You may be asking yourself, "Just what is The Good Tidings?" Well, The Good Tidings is an e-journal about New Testament Christianity, teaching folks just like you how to be just a Christian, nothing more, nothing less. This is a foreign concept to so many. Nonetheless, it is a Biblical concept.

Christ condemned man-made doctrine (Matt. 15:9) and prayed for the unity of all believers (John 17:20-23). In the first century, there was no such thing as a denomination. There was only one church, the one Jesus established (Matt. 16:18) and Christ is the head of that church (Eph. 1:22). Now, look at the religious world around us -- so many man-made names (Lutheran, Catholic, Seventh-day Adventist, etc.), so many conflicting doctrines. All this is very confusing! Is God responsible for such confusion?? A thousand times, NO! "For God is not the author of confusion" (1 Cor. 14:33). Man and his multiplicity of doctrines and religions is the blame for this confusion. But you can slice through this fog of religious confusion using the light of the word (Psalm 119:105). The unity for which Christ prayed is within your reach. Simply shed the man-made divisive doctrines of denominationalism and follow God’s Plan to become a New Testament Christian, united and abiding in the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11).

Just as in the first century, today, there is only one true church -- the one established by Christ. All churches founded by fallible men are not the true church. Religious denominations are plants which God has not planted. Jesus said that all such plants shall be rooted up (Matt. 15:12). Please hear the words of Jesus in Matt. 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (NKJV)

So, we can see from the words of Christ that many sincere, religious people who follow the commandments of men rather than the doctrine of Christ (Matt. 15:9) will be lost because they do not follow the will of God. These people are like the Jews described by Paul, "For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Rom. 10:2-NKJV).

The plea of the church of Christ is for the religious world to return to simple, New Testament Christianity -- to speak where the Bible speaks and to be silent where the Bible is silent. Only by obeying the New Testament, "the perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25), without adding to or detracting from it, can mankind have the hope of an eternal home in heaven.

So, my challenge to you is this: READ The Good Tidings. The current issue and all back issues can be found in the Library. As you read, you will come across references to Scripture. Turn to those passages in your Bible and read them. Compare what you read in the pages of God's word to what is taught in the religion which you practice. If what you have been taught and are practicing is different from what God teaches in His word, then a change needs to be made, doesn't it?? It is my earnest prayer that, as you read and study, you will desire to follow God's Plan and become a New Testament Christian, a child of God. If you are already a New Testament Christian, I truly hope you will be strengthened and edified in your daily walk by reading The Good Tidings. Thank you for visiting The Good Tidings Home Page.

God's Plan

"What must I do to be saved?" is the greatest question anyone could ask. It is tragic, however, that in seeking the answer to this question, so many people turn to the writings and teachings of fallible human beings, and their multiplicity of man-made plans of salvation. All of these plans conflict with God's plan and therefore, are useless. Since "Salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9), doesn't it make sense to turn to the word of God for the answer to this question?

Turning to the word of God as our guide, we find the following Gospel Plan of Salvation:

• One must hear the Gospel -- "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)
  
• One must believe in Jesus, as God's Son -- "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
  
• One must repent of sins -- "And these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30)
  
• One must confess Jesus Christ as God's Son -- "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)
  
• One must be baptized (immersed) for remission of sins -- "…arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16)
  
• One must then live a faithful Christian life -- "…be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." (Revelation 2:10).

This is the only plan God has provided whereby men may be saved. If you have not followed these steps to become a Christian, it is our prayer that you will begin to think seriously about where your soul will spend eternity.

This website was developed by and is maintained by Michael Willey, and was last updated in July 2010. Please feel free to download any of the information on this site to use to teach others about Jesus Christ.