In assessing the many aspects of the body of Christ, the thing that stands out to me is that we have a personal responsibility to the body. We cannot sidestep that. We could summarize that responsibility as: âBut the manifestation of the Spirit (or the fruit or the expression of the Spirit) is given to each one for the profit of all:â (1 Corinthians 12:7). To be able to express the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), obviously one must first have it. This is where our individual … [Read more...] about Our Old Man
Growth
The Collapse of Justice
Our problems with justice today began with those entrusted with judgment in ancient Israel. They rejected Godâs moral authority over them. They made the law void. The problem continues to this day in that Godâs moral authority is also rejected by those entrusted to uphold it now. The Enlightenment, a movement in Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, promoted reason and reason alone as the method of obtaining truth. Nietzsche, a man famous for saying God is dead … [Read more...] about The Collapse of Justice
Godly Justice
Administering justice is a major theme of the Bible. King David administered justice to all his people (2 Samuel 8:15). Indeed, God expects His people to administer justice: "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?" (1 Corinthians 6.2-3). So that is the question: Do you and I practice justice … [Read more...] about Godly Justice
A Place to Dwell
What does a home mean to you? I think if we are like most people, our homes are extremely important to us, and they take a tremendous amount of our time and resources to acquire and maintain. There is a popular saying which says, âthe home is where the heart isâ and I think thatâs a valid statement. Our hearts crave certain things for our homes. There is a practical side of it all where we try extremely hard to create and operate within a framework that provides … [Read more...] about A Place to Dwell
Godâs Origin Story
The Judeo-Christian story, when understood and applied correctly, is not founded on the universe but on the One who created it and the purpose for which He created it. There are many man devised theories of origin of the universe such as the Chinese Pan Gu and the Egg of the World, the Greekâs Titans and Gods of Olympus, the story of the Iroquoisâ Great Turtle Island and the Mayanâs Popol Vuh story, and lastly the Modern Scientific story call the Big History Project. However, God through Paul … [Read more...] about Godâs Origin Story
Emotions, + or -?
We all have emotions. God has emotions. Christ had emotions while on the earth as a human. Emotions are a natural part of the human psyche. A dictionary definition is a good place to begin in taking a look at the role emotions play in our lives â or put it another way, the place they should play in our lives. Emotions are âa complex experience of consciousness, bodily sensation, and behavior that reflects the personal significance of a thing, an event, or a state of affairs.â Of all the … [Read more...] about Emotions, + or -?
Anxiety and Broken Relationships
As we delve more into Godâs law and its ultimate purpose of restoring broken relationships, first with the Father and secondly man to man, we begin to see that all healthy relationships are based on love that begins with the Father (I John 4:16-19). Godly love (agape) is an outgoing concern away from self. The more we are motivated by a Godly love â God actively working through us â the less we are concerned about ourselves. When Godly love is absent then the void is filled with its … [Read more...] about Anxiety and Broken Relationships