Your quote, " Ican show you 50 that discuss how the Gospel of Christ can transform you: transform your marriage, transform your finances, transform your Bible study, even how to transform your sex life," is indicative of the root problem within the portion of the body of Christ here in America. It's what I refer to as the "I, Me, Mine," disease. It's not until we, as Christians return to the basic form, function and practice of New Testament life, that we will see the Gospel of Jesus Christ have a universal appeal with signs, power and wonders following.
Recommended reading; E.H. BROADBENT'S THE PILGRIM CHURCH. THE PATTERN, BY COL. DOUGLAS F. CARTY, can be downloaded free from the website
.www.douglasfcarty.com.
Good article; one would do well to remember, the body and the Head are inseparable. Yet, when the body refuses to follow the Head and insists on it's own way, it's at great cost to itself and society in general. The church has obviously deviated from the pattern of form and function found in the New Testament. It's not until we as Christians realize that and move back to the form of worship and practice set forth in scripture that we will once again gain universal significance followed with signs and wonders.
Great article Gary; I would add that as Christians we need to understand, there exists no means, method or vehicle upon the earth for issuing in the Kingdom other than the church, the body of Christ. Jesus left us with that commission and gave us the authority and power to accomplish that through Holy Spirit. The body of Christ is an active, viable, change invoking agent which is attached to the most power head in the universe and that Head is Jesus! We do need to challenge, call into question and offer change to both the individual and the corporate structure of the society in which we live. When the laws of man align with God's word, Christians and society in general benefit and are obligated to obey. When the laws of man are in conflict to God's word, Christians are obligated to obey God and not man and we are equally obligated to resist and change those laws. We are warriors and warriors are active not passive.
Thanks for the great work you all do at AV!
If we find Israel's action of child sacrafice, especially under king Ahaz, causing their sons to pass through the fire. Which most know as offering them up to the god Molech to be burned alive, then how is that different than America offering up her sons and daughters to the god of Self Rights?__Here's another interesting question, how many Einsteins, Martin Luther Kings, name any brilliant person, cures for cancer, AIDS, lost advances in the fields of science, medicine or answers to social problems have we aborted?WE WILL NEVER KNOW. All for the sake of convience and self rights. At the basis of this "self rights," lies a horrorable disease which is growing at epidemic proportions. It is the I, ME, MINE disease and the only cure is Christ. Imagine any species that would willingly contribute to it's own demise. How does evolutionists explain that one? Futher still, why do you not hear an out cry from professional groups whose sole dependancy is on the very resource being aborted, e.g. pediatrician association, teachers association, etc. It's beyond reason of sanity that these and others are not crying out. God have mercy on us all!
Here are the six listed by the author in Hebrews 6:1-2, Repentance, Faith, Baptisms, Laying on of Hands, Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgement. I would dare say, most Christians don't know these doctrines of our Christian faith because they have never been taught as the basic foundation to our faith. Sadly, as Christians and especially as young Christians, we are left without answers when challenge by secular academics. We need to teach and especially teach our children. THANKS FOR YOUR ARTICLE!__
Fundamental doctrines which should be taught to every born again Christian and especially to children beginning at an early age. These Basic Doctrines, as I refer to them, are as foundational to our spiritual life and growth as reading, writing and arithmetic are foundational to every thing we know and do in our secular life. And as these are taught and all other disciplines of art, science and medicine are build upon, so should these six basic or elementary doctrines be taught early in life and to every newly born again believer. A large percentage of life's questions can be answered within the scope of these six doctrines and all other issues of spiritual growth are built upon these basics to the point that our spiritual maturity will never be recognized individually or corporately in the church until we have a grasp of these Basic Doctrines.
WELL WRITTEN! Hebrews 5:12 For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. 5:13 For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.__The author of Hebrews goes on to lay out what I believe to be six Elementary or Basic Doctrines.
Yep! Right on target again. I would add,it is past the time for the church and nation to have open conversation on two scriptual principles. 1] Who constitutes "the poor," and who should not be eating because they are not working, [if any would not work, neither should he eat,] 2 Thessalonians 3:10. We have been duped as a society and more sadly as the church, into making no distinction between these two groups. The end result is doing for a man what he could and should do for himself. The realistic results of this pseudo charity is we have now created a class of citizens who cannot, will not help themselves and have become slaves of the very institution[s] which proclaim to have helped them.
This article absolutely defines our current situation in this country with pinpoint, precise accuracy. Excellent!!
Your article is right on target. No one asks to be a slave, is certainly true to Ben's point, but by virtue of not taking responsibility for one's self, we become slaves. Our failure in today's culture is , we are ignorant to the trade off!
The Bible teaches a biblical priniciple or ethic of work. Paul spells this out clearly in the "if you don't work you don't eat" priniciple. This is a priniciple which needs to be revisited again in this country if we are to survive.
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