How do we deal with the flaming darts of the evil one?
The flaming darts are the attacks from Satan that are not only accusation and condemnation in our conscience, but also intimidation toward our mind and innumerable darts coming into our being. Ultimately, Satan’s target is to undermine the building up of the church. According to Eph 6:16, the shield against these flaming darts is faith. […]
Should we speak the words of warning that are given in the New Testament?
Many Christian teachers avoid the warnings that occur throughout the New Testament, and many believers have ears only for words of comfort and affirmation. Those who seek such affirmation find it uncomfortable to hear the sober words of warning in the Bible. Discomfort aside, the many warnings in the New Testament embody healthy words that […]
Why does it sometimes seem like there are generational rifts in the church?
If the younger ones do not receive from the older ones, the experiences gained and lessons learned will need to be repeated, and the advance of God’s move in His economy in and through His people will be seriously frustrated. Realizing this, Satan, the enemy of God and of God’s people, sows distrust and enmity […]
What is the proper ground for the building up of the Church?
Matthew 18:20 contains a wonderful promise: “For where two or three are gathered into My name, there am I in their midst.” However, some have misused this verse to discount the need for local churches established and built up on the proper ground. They claim that the gathering of two or three in the Lord’s […]
Should we only read the “pure word” of the Bible, and not receive anyone’s interpretation of it?
In Acts 8 Philip the evangelist met an Ethiopian man who was reading the prophet Isaiah (vv. 26-28; cf. 21:8). Philip asked him, “Do you really know the things that you are reading?” (v. 30). The Ethiopian responded, “How could I unless someone guides me?” (v. 31) and later, “I beseech you, concerning whom does […]
What is the central line of the Bible?
In addition to the central line there are many supplemental points of truth in the Bible, including the types and the prophecies, and many outworkings of God’s economy in terms of practices, all of which should be understood and applied in light of the central line. Concerning these secondary matters there are divergent interpretations among […]
Is it wrong to allegorize the Bible?
The Bible is written in a marvelous way. Some words in the Bible are clear, direct teachings, but many are in the form of parables, of allegories, of pictures in words that are full of meaning. Those who argue that such things should not be interpreted cast aside the means by which God has chosen […]
Is the ground of locality – the ground of one church in one city – a divisive teaching?
The church is one, but the practice of oneness in the church requires that the churches be established on the ground of oneness, which necessarily includes the ground of locality. To impose any conditions for fellowship, such as adherence to particular doctrinal positions, insistence on a particular form of baptismal practice or on certain Charismatic […]
What basis do we have for saying that the jurisdiction of a local church should be no greater or smaller than the boundary of the city?
The church of God is one and cannot be divided (1 Cor. 1:13a), but the members of the Body of Christ are spread across the earth and cannot physically gather in one place. The problem of geography is the reason that there are many churches in time and space. For the believers to practically gather […]
Micah Eades: My Positive Experiences Meeting in the Local Churches
I was born and raised in the local churches. I grew up in Texas, lived in Russia for 4 years while my parents were serving the Lord there, attended the Full-time Training in Anaheim (FTTA), served with Christians on Campus, went to medical school, and am now a practicing physician and instructor in medicine in […]