There is a new and living way. Old Testament Israel had a clergy-laity system. Only one out of twelve tribes, Levi, could function as priests. The Levitical priests were recognized by their special religious vestments (Ex. 28:40-43). They alone could offer offerings on the altar and serve in the house of God. As males, they […]
Beware the Cartoon Diet. There are often news stories promoting causes like animal rights, whaling bans, or vegetarian diets. The tone of these reports attempts to place advocates of these issues on a higher moral and ethical plain than those who believe that both plants and animals have been given to people as food. But […]
What do we believe? In the 1990’s, the trend for businesses was to have a company “mission statement” to clearly state what your overall mission was, as a corporation. I always considered it somewhat silly. The company I worked for had executives spend time summing up what we did in politically correct corporate jargon. Instead […]
The church, like the tabernacle of old, may make a poor impression–until you enter in. Recently, I toured the Canadian headquarters of a company that a friend of mine works for. The complex was impressive, inside and out—intentionally so. The company had spent several million dollars on the lobby alone. Overall, a tremendous amount of […]
Association and authority are joined in this blessed Person. In the New Testament, there is a close connection between the churches of Christ and the name of Christ. It may, however, be helpful to outline some ways in which the name of Christ—perhaps occasionally referred to simply as “the Name”—is associated with a wide variety […]
Restoration and revival As previously noted, Zerubbabel was primarily concerned with laying the foundations. There were certain priorities that were critical to re-establishing the nation before God, and Zerubbabel concentrated on the altar and the temple. Spiritual revival under Zerubbabel The altar All spiritual revival must begin at the altar. We are a holy priesthood […]
God has been ordaining women for thousands of years. There are a lot of ministries women cannot participate in. Well, actually, not a lot. In fact, there are very few. But it seems people make a big deal over those few and ignore all the ministries in which they can participate. In fact, there are […]
You can’t beat it; you might as well join it. We have a massive oak tree behind our house that lets loose its leaves in installments. I imagine they wait until I have put away my leaf blower, hung up my jacket, and am reclined in an easy chair, seeking to recover from my vigorous […]
Pastors were God’s idea. but we must understand what a biblical pastor does. Anyone who fellowships in a New Testament church with a plurality of elders will face this question sooner or later, often from a well-meaning fellow Christian, “Who is your Pastor?” Part of the equipping of the saints referred to in Ephesians 4:12 […]