Just how does the Church, the Body of Christ, grow? As with any living body, to survive, it must grow, or die. We know that the beginning of the Church occurred on the Day of Pentecost, however, once born, how did it grow? God calls individuals and no one can come to Him unless God draws him. However, the body of Christ has a vital role to play in making disciples. The book of Acts is a history of the spreading of the gospel. With concrete examples it documents how the Church expanded. By … [Read more...] about How the Church Grows
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Husbands – A New Creation
John 1.1 states: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." These two beings decided to make humankind similar to Them: And God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:26-27). So human beings are made in the image of the God family. Not just physically or in cognitive capacity, but in … [Read more...] about Husbands – A New Creation
Are You Listening?
How many times have we thought in our minds, “Why doesn’t God just tell me what to do?” If He’s not verbally communicating with us, how do we hear His voice? Sometimes God literally directs our physical path. “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6). When we ask for an answer from God it must be according to His principles. For God’s Spirit to work in us, we have to have the right attitude and live according to God’s way. Looking and listening for … [Read more...] about Are You Listening?
Conflict Resolution
We can’t get around the fact that in this world we’ll have conflict. How many times have we said the wrong thing or displayed the wrong attitude, knowing that it has caused offense? Conflict stems from a lack of understanding the different things that motivate each of us: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1 ESV). God’s Holy Spirit can’t come to its fullest when we’re divided, and that disunity corrupts … [Read more...] about Conflict Resolution
Christ’s First Miracle
The first recorded miracle of Jesus Christ was turning water into wine at a wedding celebration. Let’s look at how ancient wedding customs can shed light on the significance of this miracle found in the second chapter of John (John 2.1-10). The account starts with, “On the third day". If we look back to the previous chapter of the book of John, we find that it was the third day since Christ had begun to call His disciples to follow Him, and three days since John the Baptist had acknowledged … [Read more...] about Christ’s First Miracle
Encourage One Another
How many times have we been reminded by life experience that the path due to our calling is not always simple and easy to follow? We are instructed to enter the Kingdom of God by “the narrow gate” (Matthew 7:14). Yet Christ was aware of the challenges that His followers would face. He left us, from the apostles forward, with encouragement through a solid focus on the big picture. Encouragement is a vehicle to strengthen relationships and build bonds. We, as part of God’s family, have a … [Read more...] about Encourage One Another
Conversion Is a Process
Can reading just one scripture save your neck? It sounds outlandish, but King Henry II of England, crowned in 1154, issued a decree that ultimately allowed certain English prisoners to do just that. King Henry issued a law that stated, “A person subject to the death penalty could appeal for the benefit of clergy.” A minister or cleric assigned to the prison would then be called in to stipulate a passage of the Bible that the prisoner would have to read aloud. The accepted passage came to be … [Read more...] about Conversion Is a Process