Integrity

Integrity is defined, in part, as being moral, ethical or honest.  We watch the news everyday and find that people of influence and people on whom we depend such as our teachers, governmental leaders, and those in other positions of authority seem to have lost their moral compass.  We see that our financial institutions have been led by people who have not had integrity as a character trait.  We also see that our governmental leaders have not dealt with us in honesty.  How do we, as Christians, react to the demoralizing news we see and hear each day? First, we must understand ...

3 Reasons We Need to Differentiate between Universal, Local, and Individual

Last week we recognized the difference between the universal church, a local congregation, and an individual Christian. This week I want to show three reasons why noting these differences is necessary. The reasons have to do with... Organization Hierarchy Work   Organization   Sadly, over the past 500 years differing faiths have become the norm. Instead of everyone just getting into the Bible, coming together to work out differences, and all just be Christians, folks have divided into different denominations.  Granted, I understand that division may sometimes be necessary. Those divisions will likely produce different bodies of believers. However, the point I want to make is the denominational ...

The Body is for the Lord, by Edwin Crozier (06/28/09)

Christ’s Kingdom is Already Here

Many Christians are scared of Revelation. Admittedly, it is a different kind of book. We aren’t used to its apocalyptic genre. It employs figures we aren’t readily familiar with. It uses a style that is not common to us. However, I fear that many Christians are afraid because they know “we” are supposed to believe Christ’s kingdom is already here, but they think Revelation may actually teach what the Premillennialists say about it. They are afraid that if they really study the book, it will cause them to believe we are still waiting for the kingdom. No doubt, we could spend ...

There is Strength in Numbers

     The book of Ecclesiastes is believed to have been written by King Solomon, who was given exceptional wisdom by the Lord God. Because Solomon asked for wisdom and not great wealth, God allowed him to prosper and became one of the richest kings ever. The book of Ecclesiastes was written very late in his life. In this book he gives advice to the reader about many different aspects of life. He was uniquely qualified to do this because he had the money to buy any thing his heart desired, which he did. This book tells us what is important ...

The Universal Church, the Local Church, and the Individual Christian

I've noticed a really good thing in my spiritual discussions with people today. More and more are learning and recognizing that the church is not a building. It is the people. When Christ presents His church holy and blameless to the Father, He will not present a building or buildings. He will present people (cf. Ephesians 5:25-27). However, as some have made this discovery, they have started making an error. They have said, "If the church is the collection of people and not the building, then when the people do something, the church is doing it." This is not necessarily true. ...

When Fathers Weren’t So Honorable, by Edwin Crozier (06/21/09)

4 Keys to a Forgiving Spirit, Part 2

Joseph is a great example for us in many ways. Not the least of which was his ability to forgive his brothers despite the great wrong of selling him into slavery. Last week we noted… 1. You don’t have to cover up the sins to forgive. 2. Remember your place. Now we’ll learn two more keys from Joseph that will help us grow in forgiveness. 3. See God’s work through it. Joseph said, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20). I don’t believe Joseph ...

Job Assures of New Growth and the Resurrection

Some time ago I cut an old plum tree down that had grown in our yard since we have lived here. Due to the spring rains and other responsibilities I did not remove the stump until just recently. Even though the tree was gone and the stump looked like it was drying up, some small green shoots of growth came up from the base of the stump. I remember years ago when dad would replace an old fence post with a new one cut from a locust tree when the sap was rising. Some time when the conditions were right a ...

A Religious Survey Challenges us to Evangelize the World and Pass Our Faith to Our Children

The Fields are Whiter than Ever USA Today reports that most religious groups have lost ground, that is membership numbers, over the past 18 years. Basing their article on the recently released American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS), USA Today reports that, "The percentage. (sic) of people who call themselves in some way Christian has dropped more than 11% in a generation." This is despite the fact that there are 50 million more people in America than 18 years ago.  Sadly, many people are going to hear this and bemoan the losing of a Christian America. Regrettably, too many people are going to ...