The universal Church and local churches

The distinction between the Body of Christ, local congregations and ecclesiastical organizations

Una pregunta sobre ser olvidado

Muchas veces me parece que personas hayan decidido tratarme como inexistente. ¿Cómo debo amarles?

God highly values reconciliation

God values conciliation very much. And the responsibility is mine, not yours. I can’t serve God while I know that you hold something against me.

¿Qué se ve vivir en paz con otros?

¿Qué se ve vivir en paz con otros? Si dependo de Dios para darme todas las cosas buenas, no las esperaré de otras personas. Y, cuando nada estuvo dicho, yo no debía asumir nada.

What does it look like to live at peace with others?

What does it look like to live at peace with others? If I depend on God to give me all good things, I will not expect them from other people. And, when nothing was said, I should not assume anything.

Live at peace with others

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. This is one of the most important principles of Scriture, because God is love.

Vivir en paz con otros

Si es posible, y en cuanto dependa de ustedes, vivan en paz con todos. Esto es uno de los principios más importantes de las Escrituras, porque Dios es amor.

What Really Happened in the Garden

God created the first human, male and female, as a being like himself with whom he could share his life and his creation. But the disobedience of the first humans introduced shame, which drove them away from God and hindered them from agreeing with God about their sin and returning to him. This is always the effect of shame, which comes from us, not from God.

You Are Not the One to Build, Part 6B: Spiritual Gifts: God Works through us for His Purpose

The modern emphasis on first identifying my “gift” so that I may then “help” God develop it gets the matter exactly backwards. The important thing isn’t identifying my gift, it is offering my body as a living sacrifice so that the Spirit may exercise any gift He chooses through me. Then any gift I am observed to be actually exercising can be identified as my gift, and its exercise will be genuine and have God’s power.

You Are Not the One to Build, Part 6A: Persons given to the Church and formal “offices.”

Addresses the subject of the roles of the people said in Ephesians 4 to be “given” to the Church by Christ and the qualifications and roles of church officers mentioned in the New Testament–overseers, officially recognized elders, and church servants (deacons). Also discusses the role of elders–older people in the church–even when not formally recognized as leaders, with application to me, the author of this presentation.

Introduction: The Question of Confession

Confession of sin is expression of our full agreement with God about the evil within us that produces acts of disobedience. It is NOT the recitation of a detailed list of wrong acts, which we admit we did but for which we deflect responsibility to God or others. True confession is the beginning of reconciliation and restoration.