This week we will look at a very radical view of the church. First, there is merit and benefit to any who gather in any form of church out of the desire to know and please Him. One might even get more “martyr points” for joining a dry, seemingly lifeless congregation. However, the model of New Testament church life we see in Scripture is the opposite of dry and boring; it is the most exciting and fulfilling community of people ever. Why settle for anything less?

         Perhaps the most corrupting influence that has robbed Christians...

         The ideal church to us may be far different from the ideal church to the Lord as His temple. Idealism can be the worst enemy of revelation. Revelation comes from God; idealism comes from men. The greatest ideals of men fall short of what God does and can even hinder His work. We must pursue His plans, not just something new or different we think might be better.

         Jesus, the most perfect man ever, was rejected by the idealistic leaders of His time, while the common, “untrained,” or “unlearned” people embraced...

         Last week we began to address how we might evaluate church bodies for their spiritual conditions. This is necessary to mature as we should. However, we must do this with the Holy Spirit and not with a critical, judgmental attitude, which can be more destructive than constructive. Keep in mind we are evaluating the Lord’s workmanship. When we criticize and judge the Lord’s body, we are criticizing and judging His work.

         He is the One building His church. Though His work may be perfect, He does not have perfect materials or...

         Last week we addressed the importance of spiritual evaluations. Like taking an annual physical to evaluate whether our bodies are healthy or not, we should take spiritual evaluations three times a year, like the people in the Old Testament were required to appear before the Lord three times a year. We should not do this toooften, since it could lead to self-focus and self-centeredness. However, we should do it often enough to catch potential problems before they become serious ones. 

         Similarly, we need to evaluate the body of believers to which we are joined. As with...

         As time draws closer to the biblical prophecy that declares the collapse of the kingdoms and empires of men, and the rise of God’s kingdom rule in the age to come, we are here to help prepare for the latter. As we addressed last week, this preparation begins with His kingdom growing within us. One aspect of this preparation is to grow in the faith and knowledge of Who is really in authority. The most important question to ask is this: is His authority growing in us?

         Having God’s authority grow in our lives is...