Tag Archives: christianity

If in This Life Only…

Sometimes you’ll hear a preacher make the statement, “Even if there is no heaven, the benefits you receive in this life make it worth it to follow Jesus.” I remember saying this myself a time or two in my younger … Continue reading

Posted in Belief, Bible Study, Christ's Resurrection, Church Attendance, Discipleship, Doing Good, Dying To Self, Eternity, Forgiveness, Heaven, Missions, Money, Pastors, Prayer, Preaching, Revenge, Reward, Sacrifice, Salvation, Service, Stewardship, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

They Should Have Known

Consider the following passages (all from the N.K.J.V., emphasis mine): As we read these passages, it’s hard to understand why the apostles didn’t expect Jesus to resurrect. Even if they didn’t believe His predictions when they first heard them, shouldn’t they … Continue reading

Posted in Belief, Christ's Death, Christ's Resurrection, Doubt, Easter, Resurrection, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What Ever Happened to the Original Church of Jerusalem?

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #16) The church of Jerusalem, the megachurch that was the world’s first church (Acts 8:1; 11:22), was never intended to be the planet’s only church. God’s plan was always for those believers to … Continue reading

Posted in Church, Evangelism, God's Work, Ministry, Missions, Pastors, Persecution, Preaching, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", The Gospel, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Church’s First Martyr

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #13) I take no pleasure in reporting that much of what a lot of Christians believe about God really doesn’t stand up to the test of scripture. “God wouldn’t let me remain sick.” … Continue reading

Posted in Adversity, Christ's Death, Church, Commitment, Death, Faithfulness, God's Will, God's Work, Heaven, Ministry, Obedience, Persecution, Perseverance, Problems, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", Service, Sickness, Sin, Spiritual Warfare, Suffering, The Old Testament Law, Trials | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Acts 6:1-7 the First Deacon Election?

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #12) The first serious problem that threatened to split the early church of Jerusalem centered around what Acts 6:1 calls “the daily distribution” (N.K.J.V.). No definition is given for what this distribution was, but … Continue reading

Posted in Church, Deacons, God's Work, Ministry, Pastors, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", Service | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Pastor’s Main Job

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #11) What do you do when one group of members from your church claims that another group is showing favoritism in regards to church benevolence? If you are the 12 apostles — with … Continue reading

Posted in Bible Study, Church, God's Word, God's Work, Individuality, Ministry, Pastors, Prayer, Priorities, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", Spiritual Gifts, Talents, The Bible | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The First Church Scandal

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #9) I don’t care how smoothly a church is humming along, it isn’t immune from scandal. The problem is that people can’t help but be people. They are sin-marred individuals who are members … Continue reading

Posted in Addiction, Adultery, Alcohol, Backsliding, Church, Deacons, Depravity, Discernment, God's Chastening, God's Judgment, Holiness, Hypocrisy, Lying, Ministry, Money, Pastors, Personal Holiness, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", Sin, Temptation, The Holy Spirit, The Sin Unto Death | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The World’s First Megachurch

A megachurch is generally defined as being any Christian congregation that has a sustained weekly attendance of 2,000 people or more in its worship services. With that definition in mind we can say that the world’s first church was also … Continue reading

Posted in Baptism, Bible Study, Christian Liberty, Church, Church Attendance, Discipleship, Evangelism, God's Word, God's Work, Leadership, Ministry, Missions, Money, Needs, Pastors, Prayer, Preaching, Salvation, Scripture, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", Service, Stewardship, Sunday School, The Bible, The Gospel, The Holy Spirit, Witnessing, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

4 Basic Questions About Speaking in Tongues

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #6) We’re in a series on the early church of Jerusalem, and we’ve now reached a place where I’m going to devote a couple of posts to the issue of speaking in tongues. … Continue reading

Posted in Church, Communication, Discernment, Evangelism, Missions, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", Speaking in Tongues, Spiritual Gifts, The Holy Spirit, The Tongue, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Filled With the Spirit

(Series: “The Early Church of Jerusalem” post #5) The group of approximately 120 of Christ’s followers who experienced the famous day of Pentecost were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). This means that each of those believers became indwelt with God … Continue reading

Posted in Backsliding, Disobedience, Doing Good, God's Work, Obedience, Rebellion, Salvation, Series: "The Early Church of Jerusalem", Spiritual Gifts, The Holy Spirit, The Trinity | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments