Leading To Life

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An Initiative of Church of God, the Father’s Call

Peace

8 Hindrances of Unity

Why unity? The idea of unity is a very important concept. Paul especially stresses the importance of unity to the Church in Ephesus: “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 … [Read more...] about 8 Hindrances of Unity

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Russia, Crimea, & Ukraine

When we live in peace and safety with time to dwell on our actions and how we live, ironically, this peace can be a source of danger if it decreases our alertness. For this reason, we are admonished to be watchful: “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming,” (Matthew 24:42 ESV). In February and March 2014, the world was watching as Russia began to invade the region of Crimea, previously connected to Ukraine. This historic case study enlightens us to how … [Read more...] about Russia, Crimea, & Ukraine

Peace, Peace but There is No Peace

Peace is something that we all desire, seek and want. During the Christmas season, one of the tag lines of the holiday is “let there be peace on earth.” But regardless of how hard the governments of man and individuals work for peace -- it is elusive. Why is that? One of the reasons peace is so elusive is the way power is used and where it is focused. In general, there are two approaches to the use of power. One use of power leads to strife, conflict, and war while the other leads to peace. … [Read more...] about Peace, Peace but There is No Peace

Handling Conflict

We all deal with conflict daily, in many forms. Even the church has conflict, internal and external, from time to time. With the Bible as our guide, which biblical examples can teach us about a specific quality that foils conflict? Where does this quality come from? What does it lead to? Let’s consider Gideon’s example to identify this quality. Chosen by God as a judge of Israel he was assigned to defeat a threat from neighboring Midian (Judges 6:1-8:21). He assembled an army of 32,000, but … [Read more...] about Handling Conflict

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The Philippian Formula

After the Apostle Paul had received aid from the brethren in Philippi, he wrote and thanked them. His expression of love and care for them is instructive to us in our relationship with one another. He used the situation to instruct and encourage them in things pertaining to greater unity amongst themselves. Firstly, he is thoughtful of their needs and presents prayer to God on behalf of the congregation and specific individuals. His prayer style, in regard to the Church in Philippi, is … [Read more...] about The Philippian Formula

Causes of Division

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

The Nature of Peace

This world does not reflect the nature of a loving God. The relationship between the Creator and His creation has been broken.  However, this condition has a limited allotment of time before God moves to restore all things to Himself. Everything seen and unseen was created for a purpose and existed under the loving care and direction of God. But peace in the creation was destroyed through angelic rebellion which has led to a state of hostility toward God and toward other peoples and … [Read more...] about The Nature of Peace