What is Church unity and where does it come from? Having been drawn out of the world, as followers of Christ our position regarding unity is decidedly different than the common ideas about unity which surround us. There are two important aspects of unity of which we need to be mindful: our calling and our baptism. The Apostle Paul emphasized these factors when he wrote a letter to the Church in Ephesus. Paulâs message conveys, among other important teachings, the fact that God provides both … [Read more...] about Unity in the Church
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When Right is Wrong
There is ample and graphic evidence to be seen in world events that underscores the fact that there is an evil âprince of the power of the airâ at work (Ephesians 2.2). This power motivates the human mind in a particular way. This is not new understanding to students of the Bible; however, the ever-increasing scope of this influence is becoming frighteningly more visible. Satan is the prince of the power of the air and stirs the spirits of humans injecting into them attitudes, moods, and … [Read more...] about When Right is Wrong
The Exposing Light of Persecution
I have been reading a book about church history by Ivor Fletcher. Today, I want to address the topic of persecution. There are two basic concepts that struck me as I read this book. One was the idea that obeying God is hard. I would ask us to question relatively speaking in our modern context, how hard is it to obey God? The other question that was brought to mind was, how will we, in all the churches of God, use markers of identity to distinguish among ourselves. Will … [Read more...] about The Exposing Light of Persecution
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
The Oxford Dictionary defines wisdom as âthe state of being wise.â It says that wisdom has to do with judgment, discernment, judiciousness, insight, knowledge and learning. And from a human standpoint, we might agree with these words that define wisdom. But at the same time, we can conclude that mankind on the whole man canât solve his problems. It appears that mankind simply lacks the wisdom to do so. Man doesnât know how to achieve peace, put an end to … [Read more...] about The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
By Your Patience Possess Your Souls
In Luke 21 Christ is talking to His disciples who have asked Him what the sign will be that "these things" are about to take place. The time of the end is the context: Nations are rising up against nations, kingdom against kingdom. There are famines, pestilences and great earthquakes in various places. As we go further away from these beginning signs which we can observe today itâs going to get more difficult for Godâs people as the end times draw nearer. It becomes more intensely … [Read more...] about By Your Patience Possess Your Souls
God’s Governmental Requirement
Dean William R. Inge is credited with saying, âA good government remains the greatest of human blessings, and no nation has ever enjoyed it.â Just to clarify, the human blessings he refers to are of human origin and therefore flawed. Flawed people devise flawed governments that we, the citizenry, are the beneficiaries thereof. What should be our attitude and posture toward the civil authorities that occupy public office above us? Only about 20% of Americans, according to Pew Research Center, … [Read more...] about God’s Governmental Requirement
Focus on the Goal
The weekly Sabbath is a representation of entering into the Kingdom of God. Its very interesting that God has made the high point of the week, the focus on His Kingdom. But why does God want us to be reminded of this so often and so strongly? An interesting experiment called the âinvisible gorilla experimentâ by Daniel Simmons and Christopher Chabris will help us understand why. It is very important for followers of Christ to capture itâs meaning. In the experiment there were … [Read more...] about Focus on the Goal