Author: Texas Gospel

A few words about the foundation of the church

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JEFF TURNER

When Jesus spoke to Peter in Matthew 16:18, he made a statement that has been understood in different ways. He said that upon a certain rock, he would build his church, and the gates of Hades would not be able to overcome it. The question is what did Jesus mean by this rock.

The Roman Catholic Church has long taught that Peter himself was the rock Jesus mentioned. According to this view, Peter traveled to Rome and became the first leader in what would become the papacy. The church, they say, was built on Peter as a person. However, I believe this understanding faces problems when we look at what the Bible shows us about Peter.

Right after Jesus made this statement about building his church, he had to rebuke Peter harshly. Jesus told him to get behind him and called him Satan. This happened because Peter was trying to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. It would seem strange for Jesus to say he would build his church on someone he had to correct so strongly just moments later.

Peter also showed weakness at other times. When Jesus was arrested and taken away, Peter denied even knowing him. He did this not just once but three separate times. These actions show that Peter was not a stable foundation on which to build anything lasting. He struggled and failed like any other person.

The actual meaning becomes clearer when we look at what happened just before Jesus made his statement. Peter had declared that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus praised Peter for this confession because God the Father had revealed this truth to him. It was not something Peter figured out on his own.

When Jesus said he would build his church on the rock, he used different Greek words. For Peter’s name, he used the word that means a small stone or pebble. But for the rock on which he would build his church, he used a different word that means a large rock formation or bedrock. I believe Jesus was making a clear distinction between Peter the person and the truth Peter had just spoken.

Was the rock Jesus spoke about the confession itself? The truth that Jesus is the Christ and the son of the living God. He is the foundation of the church. This truth came from God through Peter’s mouth, but it is the truth itself that matters, not the man who spoke it. The church stands on who Jesus is, not on any human leader.

Our faith is not in any human being, no matter how devoted they are. Our faith is in Jesus Christ and the truth of who he is.

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 3:11

Why I don’t ‘preach politics’ on Christian radio

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DAVID INGRAM

Throughout my adult life I’ve been asked to support this or that political cause. While there is nothing wrong with standing for one’s principles, I would not post political causes I support on a website like this, or use the microphone to proclaim my political stance on on a Christian radio station. I realize there are a lot of people in Christian radio advocating for one cause or another, and that’s between them and God. But today I don’t partake in such a thing because for me, the question of whether or not it’s the right thing to do is clear. Why? Because we should do NOTHING that would push others away from the message of salvation through Jesus.

I realize my stand on this may anger some Christians. I’ve had conversations about this with people who say “Oh, you think such-and-such is OK?” or “Why won’t you speak out against them because they support such-and-such?” Now to be clear, I will speak out against people who do evil things, even political parties who do, but I won’t do so on a Christian platform that is supposed to spread the Gospel of Jesus.

How many times have you heard over-generalized complaints about Christians that centre around some extreme political position? The implication being that if some Christians are extremists, then all Christians must be? By the way, judging an entire group, Christians or any other identifiable group, based on a subset is called a fallacy of composition. It’s irrational to do so, but this is the way people often function. Here is the important part: Whatever you do, do it for glorification of God. How can you glorify God by pushing people away from Jesus?

So, am I saying to ignore sin? Not at all. I am saying that people repent of sin when they realize their focus should be on Jesus, not because I gave them a stern talking to, or because they want to be a good member of this or that political organization. Once a person has accepted redemption for their sins through the blood of Jesus, they will ask questions about all sorts of things. Isn’t this a better time to talk to them about such matters? I have yet to meet a man or woman who said they came to Jesus because someone complained about their politics.

Throughout history man has tried to set up governments based on Christianity. Isn’t this something Christians should want? History also teaches us that some very evil people who realized that the only way they can get power in a theocracy is to claim to be Christian. We have seen time and time again how their very non-Christian acts have led to bad things being done in the name of God. So-called Christian governmental leaders doing bad things is also something often exploited by anti-theists who want to convince others that Christianity is bad.

The Bible tells people how to live in a corrupt society. But can you find any verse where Jesus ever advocated for regime change by force or politics? As I write this I think of when Judas and armed men came to abduct Jesus in Matthew Chapter 26. Starting with verse 50 it says, “…Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

People can vote their conscience, and I hope Christians are guided in their decisions. Not guided by me, but by the scriptures and by prayer. But I don’t advocate for politics in the pulpit, or on Christian radio. The Bible’s message isn’t one of social change. It’s about salvation and the changes that come after one is saved.

Salvation is not complicated

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

I think it’s human nature to think that if something is profound, it has to be complicated. But our relationship to God is not. If salvation depended on our ability to understand, would that mean that a mentally challenged person could never be saved? Salvation has nothing to do with our ability.

No one can hide their past from God. Every action and thought is known to Him, yet His love still reaches out with an offer of rescue.

The first truth is that every human being has sinned. Scripture says all people fall short of God’s glory and none are naturally righteous. Admitting this is a good starting point.

The next truth is that Jesus Christ declared that He alone is the path to the Father. God showed love to the world by sending His Son so that believers would not perish but receive everlasting life. The purpose of His coming was salvation, not condemnation, yet those who refuse to believe remain under judgment. Jesus also said a person must be born again to enter God’s kingdom. Without accepting what He did, each person would bear the penalty of sin, which leads to spiritual death and separation from God.

God does not desire anyone to end in Hell. Christ died to give eternal life as a gift. Sin earns death, but God offers life through Jesus Christ. This life cannot be purchased or earned because the price was already paid by His sacrifice.

Here’s the part that goes against what our human nature tells us. We are not saved by something we do. It’s about not rejecting. A person has to stop trusting their own goodness and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. The promise in the bible is that if someone confesses Him openly and believes God raised Him from the dead, that person will be saved. Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest anyone should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8–9


Cole Watson joins The Perrys as newest vocalist for 55th anniversary season

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

The Perrys have announced Cole Watson as their newest vocalist, completing a lineup that now includes Libbi Perry Stuffle, Jared Stuffle, Joseph Reed and Watson as the group marks its 55th anniversary in ministry.

Watson, a native of Gadsden, Ala., brings an extensive performance background to the group, having previously sung with Exodus, The Troy Burns Family, Gold City and most recently The Kingsmen. He credits his father, Mike Watson, with instilling in him a lifelong love of gospel music.

“I am honored to stand alongside Libbi, Jared and Joseph,” Watson said. “I grew up listening to my dad and grandparents sing The Perrys’ songs, and now I have the privilege of singing some of those same songs as a member.”

Libbi Perry Stuffle, a founding family member of the group, said the addition came after significant prayer.

“We are very honored to have Cole and his wife, Brooklyn, as part of The Perrys family,” Stuffle said. “We have all prayed fervently for God to send the right person, and He did.”

Watson and his wife, Brooklyn, join the group as The Perrys enter what the ministry is calling a new chapter. Watson acknowledged the weight of stepping into one of Southern Gospel’s most recognizable rosters.

“Brooklyn and I are thankful for this new chapter,” he said. “We know that God is in this, and we don’t take that lightly.”

The Perrys have been a fixture in Southern Gospel music since their founding and have built a following across multiple generations of gospel music fans.

Understanding salvation through faith and God’s grace

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

I did my best to boil this down to “just the facts,” and this is not intended to be anything more than getting quickly to the point: Faith is a gift. When a person dies, their time on earth ends and they face what comes next. The apostle Paul taught that death happens once to each person, and after that comes judgment. This means every human being will eventually stand before God who created them.

At this judgment, theologians explain that people will be in one of two positions. The first position is being found in Adam, which means standing in your own sin and facing the full weight of that sin yourself. The second position is being found in Christ, the second Adam, where a person is covered by Jesus who has already borne the full weight of sin on their behalf.

Humans exist in a state of spiritual death because of their wrongdoing. People are naturally inclined toward anger and follow the impulses of their sinful nature. This is the condition everyone is born into. God requires complete holiness, and no amount of human effort can reach that standard. People cannot earn their way to salvation because their best attempts will always fall short of what God demands.

God offers salvation as a gift. This gift comes through faith and grace rather than through anything a person does on their own. Nobody can claim credit for their salvation or take pride in earning it themselves. While salvation does come through works, these are not human works. Instead, salvation comes through the perfect works of Jesus Christ. His actions, not ours, make salvation possible.

This does not mean that what believers do has no importance. People are not saved by their good deeds, but they are saved for good deeds. Those who believe are God’s creation, made new in Christ Jesus for the specific purpose of doing good works. God prepared these works in advance for believers to do. What people do in their lives matters as a demonstration and expression of their faith. Faith is not just a pass to enter heaven but something that shows itself through actions.

God gave the law to serve a particular function. The law works like a mirror that reflects God’s holiness and shows people their sinfulness. When someone looks into this mirror, they see how unclean they are. A common mistake is trying to clean yourself with the mirror itself. The law reveals the problem but cannot fix it. Just as a mirror shows dirt on your face but cannot wash it away, the law shows sin but cannot remove it. To become clean, a person needs something external to the law, something that can actually cleanse them, much like a shower washes away dirt that a mirror only reveals.

The foundation of salvation rests on three essential truths. Salvation happens through faith alone, not through any human achievement. It comes through Christ alone, not through any other means. And it exists for the glory of God alone, not for human pride or accomplishment. These pillars support the entire understanding of how God saves people.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9