“These two days [John 1:29-34] witnessed the beginning of the greatest institution in the world, – the Christian Church, – and the end of prophecy, which reached its goal when its last representative stood in the presence of Jesus, and, with pointing finger, designated Him as the Lamb of God. To outward seeming they were [...]
Archive of posts tagged Church
Practical Ecclesiology from Conrad Mbewe
Conrad Mbewe, Foundations for the Flock: Truths About the Church for All the Saints (Granted Ministries Press, 2012), hb., 338 pp. Here is a valuable, recent book you may not have heard about. Conrad Mbewe, often called “the Spurgeon of Africa,†led the planting of Kabwata Baptist Church in Zambia about 25 years ago and [...]
Shepherding and Church Size
This past week in preparing to preach on Ezekiel 34 I came across this provocative comment in Ian Duguid’s helpful commentary: “If we are to return to truly being shepherds, perhaps we need to reconsider our love affair with big churches. It is possible to lord it over a flock of thousands; it is possible [...]
Watching Out for One Another
The New Testament is clear about the duty of church members in watching out for one another and helping one another persevere (see esp. Heb 3:12-14; 4:1-2, 11; 12:15-16; James 5:19-20). Too often Christians have not learned to think this way. I also often find myself trying to help people see that evangelistic labors, properly [...]
The Cultural Impact of the Church
“Only one reliable force stands in the way of the power of the strong over the weak. Only one reliable force forms the foundation of the concept of the rule of law. Only one reliable force restrains the hand of the man of power. And, in an age of power-worship, the Christian religion has become [...]
Sweet Harmony of Grace in the Congregation
Henry Barrow was a 17th century Puritan pastor imprisoned and eventually executed for his faith. After three years of imprisonment in despicable conditions, having not been outdoors in that time, Anglican officials visited him to convince him of his errors. Being unsuccessful he bishop quipped that Barrow should enjoy his opportunity for solitude. In response, [...]
The Unbusy Church
I have often argued for simplifying the busy schedule churches often have. I just recently came across this quote from Craig Barnes book, The Pastor as Minor Poet: “So rather than developing a ‘seven day a week’ church that fills up the members’ lives with church activity, the poetic pastor will wonder why these folks [...]
Death of Church
Walter Russell Mead has written a strong article on the decline of the mainline church. Though he is speaking to the mainline, he makes perceptive points that apply to any church. These are important points worth hearing. Here are some excerpts:  At the deepest level, this involves the sustainability of the church itself.  …   Religion [...]
The Church – Conduit of the Power of God
Hezekiah Harvey was a prominent Baptist preacher, teacher and author in the 19th century. His comments here on the importance of the church are strikingly relevant today. “The gospel becomes a permanent and aggressive power on earth only through the church, the divinely constituted organization, to which God has committed it, and through which it [...]
Should Churches Be as Friendly as a Bar?
Mark Galli has a good article by this title in Christianity Today. He interacts with a recent survey and those fretting over its results which suggest people do not view churches as being as friendly as bars. He raises good questions about the assumptions of those who fret this. He comments: Could it be that [...]
