“The weakness of God” – this is, indeed, a captivating phrase penned by Paul the apostle in his letter to the Church. (1 Corinthians 1:25) This “weakness” is God’s chosen “methodology” from “before the foundation of the world – in “the Lamb slain” (Revelation 13:8), in His choice of Israel and Gideon’s company, and ultimately in the cross of Christ. The Lord revealed to Paul that He dwells in our weakness. And, since the Church is the dwelling place of
Another Look at Consensus in the Church In certain movements within the Church, it is currently in vogue to criticize church leaders for usurping the Headship of Christ. I agree that, generally speaking, this is a valid criticism. But the more accurate statement would be that human beings, church leaders and people alike, are very guilty of usurping the Headship of Christ in the Church – and numerically speaking there are more people than church leaders doing so. I am
In this article, I am focusing on the adjectives, “apostolic” and “prophetic”, rather than the nouns, “apostle” and “prophet”. My goal is a more Christ-centered perspective and understanding of the phrase, “the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20-22), as well as, what it means to “lay” that Foundation. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)
A Governing Principle: Bearing One Another’s Burdens & The Law of Christ In this article I point out that using the Hebrew nation as a prototype, God established the concept of tribes – extended family households – as a model for His kingdom people. I am calling this model “Kingdom Households”, and proposing that this is still a model for God’s kingdom people, the Church, which is His Body. (The Ecclesia which Jesus is building). These are the specific proposals
Before His ascension, Jesus told His disciples: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples….” Since it takes the authority of Christ to make a disciple of Christ, authentic Equipping Ministries will, by nature of the case, share the life of Christ – that is, they are Christ-centered, disciple-making relationships through which Christ is revealed and relationship with Christ is nurtured. In his Letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul tells us that
In the apostle Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians (3:10) we find the calling of the Church – the Ekklesia Jesus is building: “That the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” Scripture reveals the Cross to be God’s “weapon of choice” for addressing “the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (6:12) In his first epistle to
Using the scriptural word picture of The Vineyard of the Lord, this article takes a look at the current condition of the Church. In response to this, it then takes another look at the commission of the Church, addressing various aspects of discipleship all in light of the New Covenant, with a particular focus on the Christ-centeredness of apostolic teaching and apostolic fellowship. LISTEN TO “The Vineyard of the Lord (Previous Title: “The Vineyard & The Husbandman”)
The Lord’s final word at the end of the Old Testament spoke of a “Period of Restoration” before the Day of the Lord in which there would be a “turning of the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers”. PART 1 discusses interpretation of prophetic scriptures, and specifically interpretations of “The Period of Restoration”. PART 2 discusses spiritual “children” and “fathers” throughout biblical history and the present generation. PART 3 contains “the
“Christendom” is a counterfeit Christianity in the form of a Constantinian Civil Religion. It is a religion which has been taken into the captivity of its surrounding culture. As with the Jewish religion which centuries ago had been exiled in Babylon, any remaining vestiges of our culturalized Christianity are now being utterly shaken to bare bones. This can be very unsettling to all who identify as “Christian”. But it is also absolutely necessary for the counterfeit to fall, so that
A Collection of Articles Investigating New Covenant Worship in Spirit & Truth This collection of articles is the fruit of more than 40 years of intensive study, prayer, research, and reflection, as well as, a varied experience in church life, ministry, and meetings. In passionate pursuit of that “New & Living Way” which Christ has opened to us through the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit has given insight and instruction through His scriptures all along this spiritual journey – shedding
