Relationship, Not Religion | The School of Christ

Jesus takes it for granted that His disciples will pray. This is why four times in a row He says, “WHEN you pray” and not “IF you pray.” But from these brief excerpts of Scripture we learn that there are at least two classes of prayer. One is unacceptable to God, and the other is well-pleasing to Him.

Back to the Cross

In calling us to come back to the Cross, God is asking us lay down our lives and embrace the Wisdom of death, burial, resurrection, and ascension in order to live as sons and daughters within the Kingdom of God.

4 Pillars of a Christ-Centered Faith

We must tear down the flimsy structures we have built and rebuild upon the firm foundation of Christ. I offer the following Four Pillars as a basis upon which the Ekklesia can re-establish itself in the current age and ensure the continuity of an authentic, Biblical, Christ-Centered Faith for this generation and for however many will follow.

Trust In My Life

Trusting His Life effectively positions the fulcrum in such a way that you exert very little force, while the Lever (Christ) does all the work . Of course we eventually arrive to the place of total rest and exert no self-effort at all. Simply “ask, and it shall be given unto you.”

The Danger of Familiarity

It is said that familiarity breeds contempt. In the beginning we coveted the presence of the Lord, but today perhaps we take it for granted. In the beginning we were awed by Him, but today perhaps we are not so amazed. His visits become more routine, more ordinary, more commonplace. The Lord is taken for granted.

Gathering: But Not For the Better!

Can fellowship only occur in the context of a church meeting? Once we realize that our fellowship is supposed to be based on a relationship with Jesus, not a relationship with “church”, we will discover that there are more opportunities for fellowship OUTSIDE the local church building than there are INSIDE.

Ziklag: The Test of Kings

Even someone who is after God’s own heart, someone who seeks Him early and often, someone who desires Him more than anything else – yes, THAT kind of person, ESPECIALLY that kind of person! – will be called upon to endure some of the most excruciating physical, emotional, and spiritual rigors imaginable.

To Him That Overcomes

If the Overcomers are not earthly conquerors or crusaders, what are they? Overcomers are simply Christians who live the normal Christian life. That is, the normal Christian life, as God intends, is a life that overcomes. It is a life which demonstrates the preeminence of Jesus Christ over all things.

Pauline Expressions of “En Christo”

Why do scholars find the essential foundation and pillar of Pauline thought, and the vocabulary he consistently uses to communicate that thesis, so difficult to understand?

Why I Don’t Go to Church Anymore

The turning point in my life came in 1995. At that time I was a 24 year-old burned out pastor of a church that had just closed. I was a little angry, a little frustrated, and a little depressed. As I was half-reading and half-praying, I came across a passage that I had seen hundreds of times before…

The Priests of the Lord (Part 1)

Through a series of painful experiences the Lord brought me to a deeper understanding of what ministry to Him is. In this writing I would like to explain this deeper ministry. I have referred to it a number of times in other writings and in my spoken messages, but by the grace of the Lord I would like to take some time here and expound a bit on this perspective of ministry.

The Most Urgent Need of Our Time

That we are living in the “perilous times” of the last days is seldom questioned – and yet, it seems too many Christians carry on with “business as usual,” taking for granted the unique dangers of living in the last days and being more concerned with personal needs than with the most urgent need of our time, a crisis that threatens the moral and spiritual fabric of our society and of the Kingdom of God.

I Know Whom I Have Believed

As we grow out of infancy and begin to wrestle with the deeper questions and issues of the Christian faith we will learn to say, I know WHY I believe. The ultimate experience, however, is to be brought to a place where we can say with confidence, I know WHOM I believe. Knowing WHAT is a beginning. Knowing WHY is progress. Knowing WHO is maturity.

Eliminating the Unessential

Spiritual growth is not adding to what you already know; it is eliminating the unessential.

Make A Fresh Start With God

Occasionally people write in to ask me for advice because they are worried that they are not really saved. I do not try to convince them that something they did in the past was sufficient; I simply have them make a fresh surrender, and then the question of being saved is settled once and for all.

Family, Fellowship, and Leadership

If you primarily see fellowship as a verb, then of course you are very interested in where to meet, when to meet, how to meet… To me, those questions and concerns are all based on a viewpoint that sees fellowship as a verb – something to be done.

The Persistent Purpose of God

In due course, God’s Purpose will be fulfilled, and we will see all things put under Him – even though we do not “yet” see it. So here is the question: once God has determined to do something, is there anything, or anyone, that can resist Him?

One Flock, One Shepherd