One of Christ’s primary concerns in His prayer in the garden the night before His crucifixion was unity: "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in … [Read more...] about Causes of Division
Church
Jacob’s Trouble
Jacob was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. After God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, the descendants of Jacob’s 12 sons became the biblical nation of ancient Israel. God made specific promises to the people of Israel in terms of their behavior: Blessings for obedience, but if Israel failed to obey God, then the status of power and wealth God promised to bless them with would be removed. In Deuteronomy there is a beautiful description of what God promised He would do for … [Read more...] about Jacob’s Trouble
The True Nature of God’s Governance
As followers of Christ, we need to understand the true nature of God's governance within the God Family and to practice it correctly. We also need to define and develop an understanding of how God intends His 'shepherds' to nurture and feed Christ’s flock in accord with the spiritual nature of governance (1 Peter 5:1–4). The Apostle Peter, to whom Jesus said, “tend and feed my sheep,” teaches us to clothe ourselves with humility toward one another (1 Peter 5:5). Peter’s instruction reminds us … [Read more...] about The True Nature of God’s Governance
The Purpose of the Church
Humanity has lost the story that connects us all. There is a lot of noise, but no context to give life meaning. So, we drift through life without a true meaningful purpose — a story that connects us to something bigger than we are. Aristotle observed, “When the storytelling in a culture goes bad, the result is decadence.” We see all around us the result of the collapse of mankind’s story. We have tried to replace it with small, narcissistic stories that have no lasting impact. It has turned us … [Read more...] about The Purpose of the Church
The Government of God
The Kingdom of God is ruled solely by the government of God and has a direct bearing on the developing Plan of Salvation for mankind. Due to the rejection of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, man took to himself the right to decide what was right and what was wrong. This has led to the development of erroneous perspectives on government and the use of authority, along with many other aspects of life. Human nature does not want to submit to God’s authority, so wrong concepts of government … [Read more...] about The Government of God
Being the People of God
What is the Church, and why does it matter?” The answer to that question very much depends on the narrative that one places himself into. What is the story that surrounds our life? Secular narrative is evolutionary where all change is progress. Anything that’s happening must necessarily be contributing to the betterment, the evolution, the growth of this naturally occurring world. This concept, however, does not present those who adhere to it a sense of purpose. Christians who adhere … [Read more...] about Being the People of God
There is a Generation. . .
We are shown four things in scripture that God considers to be incredibly important at any point in time. The four characteristics in Proverbs 30 are referenced by the phrase "there is a generation”. The Hebrew does not identify a particular generation. This generation can exist at any point in time as can the characteristics that are listed. We will see that each one provokes separation from God, as Satan works his work to separate man from God. The first point: “There is a … [Read more...] about There is a Generation. . .