Unity

The Body of Christ

The Body of Christ

The church is not an organization, although it requires structure and leadership. The church is a living organism, a living being whose divine life is fueled by the indwelling Spirit of Christ. After the resurrection, Jesus ascended to the right hand of His Heavenly Father. Still, in a real tangible sense, He is continually manifested in the world through His body and, by which He fulfills His early mission. We read, “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen” (Mark 16:19-20).

The Great Assembly

The Great Assembly

The study of the church, including its nature, ordinances, ministries, mission, and governmental structure, is called Ecclesiology. Evolving from the Scottish word kirk, the English word “church” derived from the Greek Kuriakos, meaning “belonging to the Lord.” It is found only twice in the New Testament, an adjective applied to the Lord’s supper and the Lord’s day. The frequent word ekklesia was translated into the English expression “church” that we employ in the New Testament today. Neither Kuriakos nor ekklisa were used to refer to a building or place of gathering until the Greeks, in post-Apostolic times, substituted the term kuriakos, meaning “the Lord’s House,” to designate a church building. In the New Testament, the words used for a religious place of assembly are exclusively temple or synagogue.

Adoption and Grafting

Adoption and Grafting

Adoption as a doctrine is not frequently discussed but is important for the believer to understand. The scriptures speak of adoption as both a present and future condition of the believer, the future inferring the return of Christ and our resurrection. Paul said, “We also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23); “Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:5).

Teach Us to Pray

Teach Us to Pray

We read, “Now it came to pass, as [Jesus] was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples’” (Luke 11:1). Jesus’s response has come to be known as “the Lord’s prayer.” A beautiful declaration that begins with the joy of our heavenly Father, praying for God’s soon-coming Kingdom, asking Him for our daily provision and protection, and closing with an acknowledgment of God’s sovereign Kingdom, His power, and glory. Matthew gives a more extended version of this prayer that Jesus gave as part of the Sermon on the Mount, traditionally believed to be a hill (called the Mount of Beatitudes) near Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Israel and The Church

Israel and The Church

The Lord spoke to Jacob, saying, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). Here in Genesis, for the first time, we hear the name “Israel” given by God Himself to Jacob, the patriarch of twelve sons who would become the twelve tribes of Israel.

Recapturing a Lost Generation

Recapturing a Lost Generation

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter declared: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). He was quoting the book of Joel verbatim.

The Natural and Spiritual Realms

The Natural and Spiritual Realms

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he talks about the physical resurrection of the body— “[For] Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, NKJV). Paul’s evidence lay in the accounts of more than five-hundred credible witnesses.

Christian Community

Christian Community

I hear a lot these days about what our Christian Community should resemble. A common biblical reference often cited is in the Book of Acts. It is written, “And they [the church] continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need” (Acts 2:43-45). Now, this would have been a Christian community to behold. The church members prayed, took communion, and studied the word of God together as one family.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

The Ministry of Reconciliation

It should be apparent to anyone reading the news that the world is becoming more divisive. Some might argue the earth has always experienced conflict. This is probably true, but it only proves that humanity continues to go through self-destructive behavior cycles, ultimately leading to major national and international conflicts. The question is, are we in that same place today? A new survey from the Pew Research Center reveals that political polarization in the United States has reached a dangerous extreme.

To the Church in Rome

To the Church in Rome

The Apostle Paul had much to say to the gentiles about their relationship with the Jewish people, even warning them to not boast or become arrogant against them. Paul made these critical points in his message to the church at Rome, specifically Chapters nine through eleven. I have paraphrased and emphasized these below, and I believe scripture speaks plainly for itself.

Out of Nothing—Ex Nihilo

Out of Nothing—Ex Nihilo

The Latin word “Ex Nihilo” (yesh me-ayin in Hebrew), means out of nothing, and is used to describe God’s creation of the universe and His forming of life from nothingness. Let us therefore ask this question: Can something actually be created out of nothing? Rationally, our minds would tell us no. But if we believe—by faith—that God created the universe ex nihilo, which is both irrational and seemingly impossible to comprehend, then we can also conclude that the universe cannot continue to exist apart from the One who created it.

One New Man

One New Man

The year was 2002, and our family was living in Merrimack, New Hampshire. We began attending a conservative Baptist Church just down the street, a traditional New England church building with a white steeple and bell tower.

I was a new believer in Jesus, but I was confused about Christianity. Did my Jewish heritage mean anything? After all, I knew that Jesus was a Jewish man. And wasn’t His actual name Joshua, pronounced Yehoshua in Hebrew?