Many have experienced a variety of approaches to Church government at the human level. A widely accepted government in the Churches was a more autocratic, authoritarian style. It was government from the top-down, investing a large amount of authority in the one at the top. Eventually this led to a more ālordshipā style of leadership within the Church. It was not an altogether illogical deduction from a human point of view. Godās governance is from the top down. It flows from the Father to His … [Read more...] about Godly Church Governance
Categories
Christmas Trees: Authentic Worship?
I would like you to think through the question in the title of this message because I think it will lead us to a place of agreement. My first question is really, Are you authentic? Do you value authenticity in other people? Honesty, integrity, consistency? I think weād all agree that we value those characteristics in others, and I think we probably generally think of ourselves as that sort of person. Truth matters even in popular culture such as the phrase ākeep it realā. The idea … [Read more...] about Christmas Trees: Authentic Worship?
Avoiding Simple-Mindedness
I want to begin with a clearer understanding of simple-mindedness with a quote from Signs of Being Simple-Minded: "Understanding what it means to be simple-minded involves recognizing certain characteristics and their implications for how individuals perceive, process information, and interact with the world. While the term āsimple-mindedā can carry different connotations depending on context, it generally refers to a style of thinking characterized by a lack of complexity, or depth in oneās … [Read more...] about Avoiding Simple-Mindedness
The Image of Jesus Christ
"Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). The word āvisionā in this scripture is used in a prophetic sense, a revealed understanding of a future reality. It says that if we lack a purpose and a clear direction of where we are going and how to get there, we are not going to "get there". Knowing where we are going and our purpose, our intent, is extremely important. God gives humanity a purpose, a destination, and He gives us a way to get there. The Bible is a complete … [Read more...] about The Image of Jesus Christ
Christian Nationalism
Christian Nationalism is a political ideology that blends the state with religion. It's a spectrum of attitudes and beliefs and we are going to create a conceptual framework which is going to be mostly extra biblical until near the end of the framework. This is important because the moral decline of the West is really, fait accompli: It's done. We exist in a moral vacuum and some think we are actually at some risk of a conservative backlash. And when politics and religion combine, … [Read more...] about Christian Nationalism
The Sabbath and Agape Love
The 10 Commandments continued to be revered by segments of the population even today. Traditionally esteemed by the founders of this country, they have been displayed in government buildings, courtrooms, and in homes across the country. Just recently, Louisiana proposed requiring the 10 Commandments to be displayed in every public classroom. Christians and Jews alike recognize the 10 Commandments as the source of the Westās broader moral values and the foundation of many of our laws and legal … [Read more...] about The Sabbath and Agape Love
The Administration of JusticeĀ
Mohammed Bouazizi is an example of the destructive consequences of injustice. He was a street vendor in Tunisia in the early 2000s. It was a dusty and poor place, and he sold fruits and vegetables from a wooden cart. It was all he could do to sustain his family. The political system in Tunisia was very corrupt and the police used their position of power to extract tolls and bribes that were not legal. But they had the power to do it. He endured this practice over many years. But, eventually he … [Read more...] about The Administration of JusticeĀ