ROOT, SOIL, FRUIT

For this reason, I bow my knees and pray to the Father. It is from Him that every family in heaven and on earth has its name. I pray that because of the riches of His shining-greatness, He will make you strong with power in your hearts through the Holy Spirit. I pray that Christ may live in your hearts by faith. I pray that you will be filled with love. I pray that you will be able to understand how wide and how long and how high and how deep His love is. I pray that you will know the love of Christ. His love goes beyond anything we can understand. I pray that you will be filled with God Himself.

God is able to do much more than we ask or think through His power working in us. May we see His shining-greatness in the church. May all people in all time honor Christ Jesus. Let it be so.

Ephesians 3:14-21

PREACHING, PRIVILEGE AND PEACE

Oh, what a power there is in the Word of God! I do not find that the Pharynx with all their learning had moved Herod. I discover not that the most mighty of the Grecian philosophers, or of the Gnostics who were then in existence, had any power to reach the heart of Herod. But the simple, plain preaching of John, his declaration of the Word with all honesty and simplicity, had power to pin Herod by the ear, to vibrate in his heart and to awaken his conscience, for sure we are it was awakened; if the awakening did not end in his conversion, at any rate it made him troubled in his sins so that he could not go on peaceably in iniquity.

THE CHURCH, BUILDING FITTED STONES

You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:5

COMMUNION, THE CHURCH

Communion is a sacred time of fellowship with God, where believers remember Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. In this unique time of worship, believers commemorate the Lord's death through prayer and meditation. It is accompanied by partaking of a small piece of bread and sip of wine (or grape juice).

THE CHURCH AS A HOUSEHOLD

As we will see, the Bible does teach that Christians should join themselves to God’s household, to organized, local churches. For this reason, it is crucial that those who name the name of Jesus understand what the church is and what our relationship to the church should be. In this article, we will outline the nature of the church under five theses and explain why you should care about being a part of a local church.

THE CHURCH AS A KINGDOM

The church is not the kingdom of God. Though not entirely separate, the church and the kingdom of God are not the same, and must not be confused. Since Jesus is Lord of both, believers (members of the church) do belong to the kingdom.

BEFORE AND AFTER

The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Psalm 90:10 ESV

ENLIVENED, EXALTED, ENTHRONED

And now he is exalted as first above every ruler, authority, government, and realm of power in existence! He is gloriously enthroned over every name that is ever praised, not only in this age, but in the age that is coming! And he alone is the leader and source of everything needed in the church. God has put everything beneath the authority of Jesus Christ and has given him the highest rank above all others. And now we, his church, are his body on the earth and that which fills him who is being filled by it!

Ephesians 1:21-23

DEATH, SLAVERY AND CONDEMNATION

A troubling topic in Deuteronomy is slavery. The allowance of slavery in the Old Testament generates a great deal of debate, and we cannot resolve all the issues here. We should not, however, equate Israelite slavery with slavery in the modern era, including slavery in the United States. The latter involved kidnapping West Africans from their homeland for sale as slaves, followed by the perpetual enslavement of their descendants.