The Kingdom of the Heavens > A God who Speaks > God Speaks to Us > Through the church

Through the church

God can speak through the church collectively, its leaders, and other believers

God’s Work and Voice in Me, Part 7F: To Speak or Not to Speak, that is the Question

October 30, 2023 1 Comment

If God is still speaking to us, why don’t we hear him more? This presentation reviews the reasons given in Scripture.

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Part 7C: God Speaks to Us–He Never Quit Speaking

October 4, 2023 2 Comments

This post and the linked video discuss a few New Testament passages in which God tells us that he intends to continue communicating with us. This set of passages have at least plausible interpretations that do not require present-time vocal communication. The next video will cover passages that appear to require current-time spoken communication.

A God who Speaks, God Acts by Speaking, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's Voice, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Prophecy, through his creation, Through others, Through teachers, Through the church

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

September 4, 2023 1 Comment

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.

A God who Speaks, Desire to have our own way, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, Historical Background, In the Church, Meaning of Unity, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Personal Background, Personality cults, Prophecy, Through others, Through teachers, Through the church, To be his ambassadors, To bear fruit, To live in unity

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

August 27, 2023 3 Comments

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.

A God who Speaks, Confession of Sin, God's purpose for us, In the Church, Meaning of Unity, Prophecy, Through others, Through teachers, Through the church, To be his ambassadors, To live in unity

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You are not the one to build…

May 14, 2023 1 Comment

A summary of my calling and life direction. I am becoming comfortable with the idea that most of the positive effect of my life will occur after it is over and that, among humans, I will receive no credit for it.

A God who Speaks, God Speaks to Us, God's purpose for us, God's Voice, In prayer, Prophecy, Repentance, The Bible, Through others, Through teachers, Through the church, To be his ambassadors, To bear fruit, To live in unity

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The Mind of Christ, and Rejecting It

February 17, 2023 1 Comment

God speaks to us individually, and also collectively as his Body. We must hear him and walk with him individually and also depend on each other for his voice. Believers all have the mind of Christ, but none of us alone has all of the mind of Christ.

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God Speaks to Us through His Spirit

February 9, 2023 3 Comments

God speaks to us through his Holy Spirit, who must teach us–by building within us–everything we truly know of God. God also speaks to the world through us, by his Spirit who is building his image within us.

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A Few Comments on the Overall Process

August 21, 2022 0 Comments

Most of the currents of modern Western history can ultimately be traced to the well-meaning decisions of Christian leaders in the early centuries to seek political sponsorship. This led to the inversion of the Gospel message, forced exile of “heretics,” the rise of Islam through the influence of exiled “heretics,” and most of the subsequent upheavals in the Western world.

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Godly sorrow and repentance which leads to salvation, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10

March 27, 2022 2 Comments

In Corinth, Godly sorrow over a letter Paul regretted writing led the members of the church to a zeal to put away their sins which is the definition of repentance. After that repentance, they were told to accept back among themselves even those who had lapsed into the “worst” sins, but had repented.

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Repentance, Confession and the Textual Variant in James 5:16

August 9, 2021 2 Comments

James 5:16 occurs in a context dealing with sick Christians and healing. In that context, it teaches that we are to agree with each other about the character flaws in our lives that lead to discrete sins, and pray for each other that these flaws–and the whole person–will be healed. This sensible reading is supported by the Byzantine New Testament text tradition, which is to be preferred for this verse.

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