Most Christians believe that Jesus Christ kept the laws of the Old Testament fully and that the law, therefore, was completed or accomplished ā and done away. But is this really what the Bible teaches? You can find plenty of theological explanations that point out that Jesus Himself said that He came to fulfill the law and the prophets and that many of His actions were done purposely in order to do so. Often cited examples from the book of Zechariah includes Christ riding up to Jerusalem on a … [Read more...] about Fulfillment of the Law
Church
How the Church Grows
Just how does the Church, the Body of Christ, grow? As with any living body, to survive, it must grow, or die. We know that the beginning of the Church occurred on the Day of Pentecost, however, once born, how did it grow? God calls individuals and no one can come to Him unless God draws him. However, the body of Christ has a vital role to play in making disciples. The book of Acts is a history of the spreading of the gospel. With concrete examples it documents how the Church expanded. By … [Read more...] about How the Church Grows
Conflict Resolution
We canāt get around the fact that in this world weāll have conflict. How many times have we said the wrong thing or displayed the wrong attitude, knowing that it has caused offense? Conflict stems from a lack of understanding the different things that motivate each of us: āWhat causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?ā (James 4:1 ESV). Godās Holy Spirit canāt come to its fullest when weāre divided, and that disunity corrupts … [Read more...] about Conflict Resolution
Encourage One Another
How many times have we been reminded by life experience that the path due to our calling is not always simple and easy to follow? We are instructed to enter the Kingdom of God by āthe narrow gateā (Matthew 7:14). Yet Christ was aware of the challenges that His followers would face. He left us, from the apostles forward, with encouragement through a solid focus on the big picture. Encouragement is a vehicle to strengthen relationships and build bonds. We, as part of Godās family, have a … [Read more...] about Encourage One Another
Need For Families
Domestic terrorism is violent or criminal acts committed by individuals or groups to further ideological goals. It has become somewhat commonplace in our societies stemming from political, religious, social, racial, or even environmental causes. When we think of terrorism, high profile cases come to mind where a mass shooting or a bombing has occurred. And when we think of radicalization, we probably immediately think of groups such as ISIS, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban. Unfortunately, the … [Read more...] about Need For Families
Keep On a-Changinā!
In Jeremiah 17:9 we read the following: āThe heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?ā Does this refer to followers of Godās also? It basically refers to those without God, but those who are making a diligent effort to truly follow God do not get away scot-free. It would probably be fair to say for those trying to follow Godās way: āThe heart is still occasionally deceitful, and sometimes still not in harmony with Godās laws. We must, with Godās help, get … [Read more...] about Keep On a-Changinā!
God’s Goyim
There are numerous words that we use in our daily vocabulary that have changed meaning over the years. Have we allowed ourselves to appropriate a meaning to the word āGentileā that was not intended? In Galatians, the second chapter we see Paul giving the account of Peterās example as a Jew when he separated himself from the Gentiles fearing what other Jews would think. The Jews regarded Gentiles as inferior. Eastonās Bible Dictionary states the definition of "Gentile" as (Hebrew, usually in … [Read more...] about God’s Goyim