Build and edify closely identify God working in us to will and to do His good pleasure. We build up ourselves and one another and edify ourselves and one another through prayer, fasting and participating in the Lord’s Supper. Those lead us to maturity as we grow up into Christ the head of His body. … [Read more…]
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul tells us how to put our minds to work in our one another gatherings. He begins by urging us to prophesy when we gather together. All of us have a need to gather together for edification and exhortation and consolation. We prophesy by the unction of the Spirit, using our … [Read more…]
What participation is The simple definition of participation is belonging to a group and sharing in it. We, who believe Jesus is the son of God, belong to the kingdom of God and are of the household of God. We are fellow citizens of the kingdom and children of God. Ye were at that time … [Read more…]
1 If then I can appeal to you as the followers of Christ, if there is any persuasive power in love and any common sharing of the Spirit, or if you have any tender-heartedness and compassion, make my joy complete by being of one mind, 2 united by mutual love, with harmony of feeling giving … [Read more…]
Paul revealed our Father’s family connections to the Ephesians and us. “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the … [Read more…]
Good works are ministry of the first order. Anytime we do anything motivated by God’s love, we are doing a good work. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2 Messiah Yeshua’s nature and power helps us love and be … [Read more…]
The ecclesia/the body of Christ, the community of Saints/ is starting to recover it’s true identity as the community of Jesus Christ our King. For about the last 1,700 years, we have been institutionalized with the clergy in the pulpit and laity in the pew mentality. Now, more and more saints [holy ones, made holy … [Read more…]
By Howard Snyder The most important book of 2016 is The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, by Alan Kreider (Baker Academic, 2016, 321 pp.). I say this after considerable thought—after reading the book carefully and after having heard Alan speak and introduce the book at the … [Read more…]