It is a rare chapter in the book of Acts that does not prominently remind us of the strategic influence of the Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of the Church. The early chapters emphasize the once-for-all baptism of the Spirit, a (partial) fulfillment of Joel 2 and of the promise of John the […]
Surrounded by a roomful of eager young disciples, I had just finished “waving the flag” for the idea of meeting according to the Church pattern as laid out for us in the New Testament. It was not only a good theological idea, I told them passionately; it was a good practical idea as well. The […]
True Christianity is so radical it puts die-hard Communists to shame. I’ve seen it in China, and it made me wonder, If that’s Christianity, what are we playing at? There is a widely repeated view (even by those who claim to closely adhere to the New Testament pattern for the Church) that the spirit of […]
We live every day behind enemy lines. No place to relax, is it! The Scriptures teach us that we are part of an army. Perhaps we don’t often think of it that way. But maybe that’s because this army is so unlike any other army in history. It is a truly remarkable fighting force. It […]
Historians in general agree that the American Civil War was really won at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, though there were lesser battles in other places after that date. Those serious but relatively minor conflicts toward the end of the war only served to demonstrate the military supremacy which the North had already gained over […]
Has God said…?” The first recorded assault against mankind was made in the Garden of Eden, a direct attack on the truth of the received Word of God. The assault was made by one whom Scripture calls the “father of lies”—the master of distortion and confusion. The first victim of the assault was Eve, the […]
Isaiah 59 should be read in any study of Ephesians 6 and the armor of God. Isaiah tells of a day when the wiles of the devil (as in Eph. 6:11) seem to have swept the field. All is sin and iniquity. Justice is not practiced. There is no man to stand up and make […]
Ephesians 6:10 leads off the classic passage on spiritual warfare: “…be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” We can faithfully put on all the armor listed in the rest of the passage, but unless we know what the war is all about, where the battlefields are, and from where our […]
The Christian is not to live life as a consumer but as a combatant. There is a real adversary who seeks to destroy the testimony and effectiveness of believers. This enemy is not of flesh and blood but is spirit, and operates in the heavenlies. To withstand him, a believer must have spiritual armor and […]