Tune and Prepare!

study in the Chapterhouse The Constant Need Ephesians 4:1-16 Holman Christian Standard Bible 1 Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness , with patience {tolerating}, accepting {bearing} one another in love, 3 diligently keeping the unity * of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to {called in} one hope at your calling— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. *Keeping the unity means: acceptance and active love ( agape: inviting love / or 'Hesed' ), creating an environment with mutual trust and support. See: David Guzik's article about unity (see: the apostolic heart in Rm.1:12 and 14:19 ) 7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the Messiah’s gift. 8 For it says: When He...

Such a high view of the Church in the New Testament, carried over from the place of the Temple in the Old Testament as "God's house", where God lives, is at Home with his family & requires a certain lifestyle. We need to know "how to conduct ourselves" there.. 1Tim3:15. I have written so that you will know how people ought to act in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. It's no ordinary place. Not the world. It's meant to be very different! Terry Virgo

{A Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon} In this powerful sermon on the nature of the church, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines what truly constitutes the church according to New Testament teaching. He argues that the church is not merely a confession of faith on paper, but a living gathering of people who have been separated from the world and united together in Christ. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the church is made up of those who have undergone a radical spiritual transformation - experiencing conviction of sin, repentance, and new birth in Christ. This shared spiritual life creates an organic unity among believers that transcends all other earthly distinctions. ... He warns against dead orthodoxy and urges his listeners to examine whether they truly possess the life of God within. He highlights how the early church was characterized by a love for sound doctrine, genuine fellowship, joyful worship, and Spirit-empowered witness. ... This sermon challenges listene...

Sándor Háló – igemorzsa.hu "We also have this commandment from him, that he who loves God should love his brother." 1 John 4:21 We are sorely lacking in brotherly love in the church. Many who profess to love the Saviour make no effort to love those who are united with them in Christian fellowship. Our faith is one. We are all members of the same family, children of the same heavenly Father, with the same hope of immortality. How intimate and tender, then, should be the bond that binds us together! The world is watching, wanting to see if our faith sanctifies us. The secular will immediately notice every shortcoming in our lives, every inconsistency in our actions. Let us not give them an opportunity to attack our faith... There is no surer way to weaken our spirituality than to envy one another, to distrust, to be full of fault-finding and suspicion... This is not wisdom from above... The wisdom that comes from above is... peace-lovin...

This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need — how can God’s love reside in him? 1Jn 3:16 Recommended articles: · Brotherly love · Is "Hesed" equal to "agape"? · Luther about incessant faith

Andreas Köstenberger In our day and age, few parts of Scripture are more controversial that the household codes of the New Testament. Indeed, as family structures continue to unravel and hierarchical relations, in the home, the church, or the workplace, are often abusive, the biblical teaching that men and woman have distinct, God-given roles and that women submit to their husbands has fallen on hard times. Yet, for those who are committed to Scripture, we must take a closer look to see what God says about male-female relationships, and women’s roles in particular, throughout Scripture. And one important place to do that is Titus 2. ... Paul’s instructions to Titus in chapter 2 are given as part of a household code that conceives of the church as God’s household. In keeping with this format, Paul gives ministry directives regarding older men (v. 2), older and young women (vv. 3–5), and younger men (v. 6), as well as bondservants (vv. 9–10). Like all the members in God’s ho...

Andreas Köstenberger God’s Word calls qualified men to teach and pastor God’s flock. In discussions of this topic, 1 Timothy 2–3 are central to explaining why Paul did not permit a woman to teach or have authority in the church and why the pastoral office is grounded in creation and not culture... .. In this post, I will provide a brief introduction to 1 Timothy 2–3, a passage that clearly affirms male eldership in the household of God. Paul’s first letter to Timothy contains vital and abiding instructions for the church and its leadership. Paul writes to his apostolic delegate, Timothy, toward the end of Paul’s life and ministry in order to leave a legacy and pass on the pattern of church leadership to his foremost disciple. These instructions are not limited to first-century Ephesus (where Timothy was at the time) but abiding principles grounded in God’s creation order (Paul writes similar instructions to Titus, who is on the island of Crete). The Church as God’...

Chopo Mwanza Every local church is comprised of a diverse group of people who have been radically transformed by the power of God through the person and work of Jesus Christ. These diverse people have no reason to live and work together, let alone care for each other—and yet, they choose to live in love and unity together, to the praise and glory of the Lord’s name. Healthy local churches make a powerful and attractive testimony to a watching world. This means that every church member has to be devoted to building others up. Church members who build up the church are those who: 1. Attend Attending is the most basic way church members build each other up. It’s the most obvious way to show commitment to the body. There’s something encouraging about knowing a brother or sister is simply going to be present at a church service, and you are going to worship God together. The writer to the Hebrews tells the believers to “stir one another up to love and good deeds” an...

Jézus egyik jól ismert példázata a Máté evangélium 13. részében található. Ez a tiszta búza között talált konkoly története. De vajon értjük-e az eredeti üzenetet? Jézus egy másik példázatot is hozott: "A mennyek országa ahhoz hasonlítható, mint aki jó magot vetett a mezején; amíg azonban mindenki aludt, jött az ellenség és gyomot vetett a búza közé,... Amikor tehát a búza felnőtt és kalászt hozott, megjelentek a gyomok is... ekkor eljöttek a földesúr szolgái és azt mondták neki: - Mester, nem-e jó magot vetettél a meződre? Akkor honnan jöttek ezek a gyomok? - Egy ellenség tette ezt. - Azt akarod tehát, hogy menjünk és szedjük össze őket? - Nem. Mert ha összeszednétek a gyomokat, azzal együtt a búzát is kitépnétek. Hagyjátok mindkettőt együtt nőni az aratásig; és az aratás idején megmondom az aratóknak: "A gyomot gyűjtsétek össze először, és kössétek kötegekbe, hogy elégessétek, a búzát pedig gyűjtsétek be a pajtámba." Mt 13:24-30 Jézus péld...

Por Andreas Köstenberger Las falacias lógicas, tanto formales como informales, se encuentran en todos los campos de estudio, y la exégesis bíblica no es una excepción. Las disyunciones falsas se producen cuando un argumento se presenta de forma "o bien": o bien A o bien B es cierto, pero no ambos. Sin embargo, hay ocasiones en las que la respuesta es "ambos/y" en lugar de "o lo uno o lo otro". Tomemos la relación entre Gálatas 3:28 y 1 Timoteo 2:12, por ejemplo. Gal 3:8 Y la Escritura, previendo que Dios había de justificar por la fe a los gentiles, dio de antemano la buena nueva a Abraham, diciendo: En ti serán benditas todas las naciones. 1Tim 2:12 Porque no permito a la mujer enseñar, ni ejercer dominio sobre el hombre, sino estar en silencio. {RVR1977} A veces se afirma que la afirmación de Pablo en Gálatas 3 de que en Cristo "no hay varón ni mujer" erradica todas las distinciones de género con respecto al minis...

By Andreas Köstenberger Logical fallacies, both formal and informal, are found in every field of study, and biblical exegesis is no exception. False disjunctions are made when an argument is presented in an either or fashion: either A or B is true, but not both. However, there are times when the answer is "both/and" rather than "either/or." Take the relationship between Galatians 3:28 and 1 Timothy 2:12, for example. Gal 3:8 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 1Tim 2:12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. {ESV} It is at times claimed that Paul's assertion in Galatians 3 that in Christ there is "no male and female" eradicates all gender-related distinctions with regard to church ministry, so that the prohibition of women teaching or exercising authority ove...

"a voice crying in the wilderness" What does it mean? "John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ ” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." Before that coming .. {John} prepares us for the coming of Jesus. Before that coming, there are many pioneers/heralds: - Many times {often times} suffering comes before him and prepares the way for the coming of Jesus, on the way, as the plough-sower ploughs the field before he sows the earth. - The ground of o...

A well-known parable of Jesus is found in Matthew 13. It is the story of the weed /darnel /tares found among the pure wheat. But do we understand the original message? Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat,... So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well... the slaves of the householder came and said to him: ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy has done this.’ ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers: Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn‘ Mt 13:24-30 Jesus' par...

Arm yourselves! Recognizable influences, habits False or wrong models The following Scripture passages provide an opportunity for a meditation exercise without commentary. The subject is the Christianity: not an "all-inclusive religious philosophy" but knowledge of the apostles' teaching and life model. 1Peter 4:1 Since ...Christ suffered in the flesh, [for us, for you] arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), so as to live for the rest of your earthly life [rest of the time in the flesh] no longer by human desires but by the will of God. You have already spent enough time in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry. They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of dissipation, and so they blaspheme. Ephesians 5:1 ..be imitators of God, as beloved children, and li...

by Luke Wesley {Chinese mission} On the basis of my experience in China over the past 30 years, I want to highlight five theological truths that inevitably emerge as crucial battleground issues for Christians living in a hostile, totalitarian environment. Although the experience of Christians in the U.S. is vastly different, we can learn from the faithfulness of our brothers and sisters in China. 1. Head of the Church Jesus Christ, not any government or human authority, is the head of the church. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has consistently sought to assert its authority over the church since the formation of the “new China” in 1949. I vividly remember a dialogue I had some years ago with a Chinese government official. When he asked, “Are you here to propagate religion?” I responded, “I am a Christian. If people ask about my faith or express interest, I will tell them about Jesus.” He shouted his response: “You will obey Chinese law.” There you have it. Who’s in c...

"Faithful to Christ – A Challenge to Truly Live for Christians" A book by Charles Spurgeon T  here is nothing the human heart falls into as easily as pride, and yet there is no sin that is more frequently, more emphatically, and more eloquently condemned in Scripture. Pride is unjustified. It stands upon the sand, or worse than that, it puts its foot upon the waves of the sea that give way beneath its step — or worse still, it stands upon bubbles that soon must burst beneath its feet. Of all things, pride has the worst foothold. It has no solid rock on earth on which to place itself. We have reasons for almost everything, but we have no reasons for pride. Pride is something that should be unnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of. Pride is foolish. It brings no profit with it. There is no wisdom in self-exaltation. Other sins might have some excuse, for people might seem to gain by them. People might make excuses and find temporary worldly benefit in...

Charles Spurgeon: "Hűen Krisztushoz – kihívás az Igazi életre, keresztyének számára" c. könyvéből A z emberi szív semmibe sem esik bele olyan könnyen, mint a büszkeségbe, és még sincs olyan bűn, amelyet a Szentírás gyakrabban, nyomatékosabban és ékesszólóbban elítélne. A büszkeség indokolatlan. A homokon áll, vagy ami még rosszabb, a tenger hullámaira teszi a lábát, amelyek a lépése alatt meginognak - vagy ami még rosszabb, buborékokon áll, amelyeknek hamarosan szét kell pukkadniuk a lába alatt. Minden dolog közül a büszkeségnek van a legrosszabb talpa. Nincs szilárd szikla a földön, amelyre támaszkodhatna. Szinte mindenre van okunk, de a büszkeségnek nincs. A büszkeség olyasvalami, aminek természetellenesnek kellene lennie számunkra, mert nincs mire büszkének lennünk. A büszkeség bolond. Nem hoz hasznot magával. Nincs bölcsesség az önfelmagasztalásban. Más bűnöknek lehet némi mentsége, mert az emberek látszólag hasznot húznak belőlük. Az emberek talán kifogá...

Gary Chapman and Clarence Shuler 5lovelanguages.com , clarenceshuler.com W ith the racial tension in Winston-Salem in 1968, there’s no way that I could ever imagine that I would become friends with a white man. I’m not sure Gary Chapman had that on his purview either. Gary and I met in a church gym. Russell, my best friend at the time had been invited by some white girls from his school to this youth function. He didn’t want to be the only black person at this event, so he asked me to go with him. Basketball was my god at that time, so I was all in. The only problem would be convincing my parents that I would be safe at a white function. A family “town hall” meeting was held to determine if I could go to a white church. Just as the decision was being made that I couldn’t go, I yelled, “Jesus will be with us!” Even though I wasn’t a Christian. My proclamation turned the tide because my parents had me in church all the time. In the sixties, it seemed that most blac...