James reminds us that the tongue is untamable. James 3:8 (KJV) 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Very few things in this world are more powerful than words. A few well-chosen words can almost instantly cheer us up, improve our outlook, and brighten our […]
1 Timothy 6:6-10 is a familiar passage in which Paul discusses the danger of the love of money. A person who develops an obsession for money will most likely fall away from the faith. As a result, he will inflict upon himself many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10). Paul’s advice to us is to run from […]
Some Christians do not realize how important our bodies are to God. After we die, at the appointed time of God, we will all experience a bodily resurrection. Our lowly bodies will be transformed to be like our Lord’s glorious body (Philippians 3:21). Speaking of the resurrection, Paul said that our bodies will be sown […]
Paul exhorts us to use our bodies, not as instruments of sin, but as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:12-13). One way we can do this is by using our hands to do the work of the Lord. Psalm 90:17 (ESV) 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the […]
There is a great misunderstanding of Israel today. While this is true socially and politically, it is especially true religiously. What was taught by the Lord’s church in the first century concerning physical Israel being the people of God? We are not surprised that the Jews thought they were the people of God, even as […]
After Jesus ascended back to the Father, two angels appeared with a very specific message. Acts 1:9–11 (ESV) 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, […]
We saw last night that the kingdom of God was established in the first century. There is no need to wait for the kingdom to come because it is already here, and it is the Lord’s church. When Jesus comes back, it will be to get the kingdom He set up the first time He […]
A part of the good news that Jesus preached when He was here on earth was that the kingdom of God was at hand. Matthew 4:17 (NKJV) 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This was the ongoing message of Christ throughout […]
In this series on the Lord’s church, we have seen that first-century Christians did not have the luxury of having the completed New Testament in written form, at least not during most of the century. They survived without it because many possessed the miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit, which they received by the laying […]
The Lord’s church was a miraculous church in the first century. The apostles of Christ were guild by the Spirit, having been baptized with the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; Acts 1:5), possessed miraculous powers, and could transfer those powers to others by laying hands on them (Acts 8:18-19). When the apostles would establish a new […]