Church

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{THE PEOPLE OF GOD}

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{IDENTITY AND MISSION}
  1. Ekklesia - Assembly - {PDF Copy} - (The use of the term “church” or ekklésia is derived from the “assembly of Yahweh” gathered before the Tabernacle)
  2. One New People - {PDF Copy} - (By his death, Jesus formed one covenant community - “one new Man” - based on faith in him, not ethnicity)
  3. Heirs of the Promise - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the true seed of Abraham through whom his disciples inherit the covenant promises, including the gift of the Spirit)
  4. The Sanctuary of God - {PDF Copy} - (In his letters, Paul applies Temple language to the church of Jesus Christ, the sanctuary of God)
  5. The Sign - {PDF Copy} - (According to Jesus. the end will not come until this gospel of the kingdom of God is proclaimed to all nations)
  6. Reign of the Saints - {PDF Copy} - (The saints reign as a kingdom of priests during the thousand years, having overcome the Beast)
  7. Slave of HIS Kingdom - {PDF Copy} - (To be a citizen of the kingdom of God requires a life of self-sacrificial service for others, not power over them)
  8. Reigning with the Lamb - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples reign with Jesus as priests that render service in his Tabernacle and mediating his light in the world)
  9. To Whom Homage? - {PDF Copy} - (Satan offered Jesus unlimited political power to achieve his messianic mission if only he acknowledged him as his overlord)
  10. Spiritual Warfare - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples wage spiritual warfare through right conduct, acts of love, and proclaiming the gospel)
  11. The Mission of the Church - {PDF Copy} - (The Church is commissioned by Jesus to proclaim his gospel to ALL nations until the end of the age)
  12. For All Nations - {PDF Copy} - (The gospel of the kingdom announced by Jesus is a message of life for men and women of every nation)
  13. Both Jew and Greek - {PDF Copy} - (The equality of Jew and Gentile before God is a pivotal theme in Romans. Members of either group stand or fall before Him on the same basis)
  14. The Heir of the World - {PDF Copy} - (According to Paul, the covenant promise of land for Abraham and his seed always envisioned the inclusion of the entire world)
  15. The Inheritance of Abraham - {PDF Copy} - (In Jesus, the original limited promise of territory to Abraham is transformed to encompass the entire creation)
  16. Coheirs with Jesus - {PDF Copy} - (The covenant with Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus, his seed and heir, including the promise of land)
  17. The Spirit & the Inheritance - {PDF Copy} - (The gift of the Spirit is part of the New Covenant and the first fruits of the Resurrection and the New Creation)
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  18. People of the Last Days - (The church is the battlefield where the final war is being waged between the Lamb and the Ancient Serpent, Satan) - {PDF Copy}
  19. Redeemed of the Earth - (In Revelation, the redeemed people of God is composed of men and women from every nation purchased by the death of Jesus) - {PDF Copy}
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  20. Christendom? - {PDF Copy} - (‘Christendom’ is the attempt to invoke God and Jesus to validate national and political institutions, agendas, and ideologies)
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  21. Controversy in Galatia - {PDF Copy} - (The key issue in Galatia is whether Gentiles must be circumcised and keep some, at least, of the deeds required by the Torah)
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  22. All are Heirs in Jesus - {PDF Copy} - (With the arrival of the seed of Abraham, the old divisions between Jew and Gentile are wholly inappropriate)
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  23. The Message - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus summons his disciples to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God in every inhabited corner of the earth)
  24. Stephen Bears Witness - {PDF Copy} - (Under the guidance of the Spirit, Stephen gave eloquent and effective testimony to the leaders of Israel)
  25. Taking the Kingdom - {PDF Copy} - (Christ’s comment about violence taking the kingdom refers to violent men who attempt to seize the work of God)
  26. Transitory Powers - (Only God’s kingdom will prevail and endure. All other political powers are fleeting, already they are passing away) - {PDF Copy}
  27. True Worship - {PDF Copy} - (In Samaria, Jesus revealed that the presence of God no longer is limited to geographic locations or man-made structures)

{DISCIPLESHIP}
  1. Leap for Joy - {PDF Copy} - (When disciples are persecuted for their faith, they are to rejoice for being accounted “worthy” to suffer for Jesus)
  2. Though He Slays Me - {PDF Copy} - (Like Job, the Christian's commitment to Jesus must be total regardless of what else happens)
  3. Embracing the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To be the Messiah means suffering and death, and he summons his disciples to follow the same path)
  4. On the Way - {PDF Copy} - (On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explains to his disciples just what it means to be the Messiah of Israel)
  5. Path to the Kingdom - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus proclaimed a new political reality, the Kingdom of God, and it bore little resemblance to the political systems of this world)
  6. The Mind of Christ - {PDF Copy} - (The obedient death of Jesus becomes the paradigm for service to others, the pattern disciples are summoned to emulate)
  7. Love Your Enemy - {PDF Copy} - (Mercy and love are the defining characteristics of the disciple and reflect the true nature of his Father)
  8. True Spirituality - {PDF Copy} - (The spiritually-minded man understands that "Christ Crucified" is the power and wisdom of God)
  9. The Way of the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus wherever he goes necessitates a lifetime of self-denial and sacrificial service for others)
  10. The Cost of Discipleship - {PDF Copy} - (To be his disciple means taking up the cross and following in his footsteps, even if it results in death - Mark 6:7-30)
  11. Suffering and Discipleship - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus means self-denial and a willingness to suffer for his sake, and enduring persecution is the highest honor in his kingdom)
  12. Afflicted Disciples - {PDF Copy} - (In this life, the disciple of Jesus will endure “tribulation” and persecution for his sake)
  13. Responding to Persecutors - {PDF Copy} - (When Christians react to hostility with hostility, whether from government, society, or individuals, Satan triumphs)
  14. Slave of HIS Kingdom - {PDF Copy} - (To be a citizen of the kingdom of God requires a life of self-sacrificial service for others, not power over them)
  15. The paradigm of the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (Christ crucified is the pattern disciple of Jesus are summoned to emulate, and the test of genuine faith in him)
  16. Prudent or Foolish? - {PDF Copy} - (At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus claims absolute authority for his words. Ignore them at your peril)
  17. Servant of the Kingdom - {PDF Copy} - (His disciples are summoned to lives of self-sacrificial service to others, just as Jesus gave his life as the ransom price for many)
  18. Faithful and Unfaithful Disciples - {PDF Copy} - (Mark 9:41-50 - Whatever anyone does to a disciple of Jesus, whether for good or evil, is the same as doing it to Jesus)
  19. Sanctified Holy - {PDF Copy} - (Considering the future arrival of Jesus, Paul summons the church to become sanctified completely by that day)
  20. Blameless in Holiness - {PDF Copy} - (Paul prays for the Thessalonians to be found holy and blameless on the day when Jesus arrives in glory)
  21. Do Not Drift Away - {PDF Copy} - (A dire warning of the consequences for failing to hear and obey the superior word found in the Son)
  22. Tribulation and Wrath - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples escape God’s wrath, but they endure tribulation. And according to Paul, the church has been appointed to tribulation – 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4)

{SOCIETY AND STATE}
  1. Empire - Rise and Fall - (Imperial hubris is the legacy of the Tower of Babel, humanity’s first but certainly not attempt to establish the World Empire) - {PDF Copy}
  2. Paul on the State - {PDF Copy} - (Paul instructs believers living in the Roman Empire not to resist the government since its existence and authority are arranged by God)
  3. Jesus Refused Political Power - {PDF Copy} - (He rejected Satan's offer of political power and chose, instead, the way of the Suffering Servant)
  4. Seated in the Sanctuary - {PDF Copy} - (The Lawlessness One will be unveiled when he seats himself in the sanctuary of God  - 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

{SCRIPTURE}
  1. The Language of the New Testament - {PDF Copy} - (Was the New Testament originally composed in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Overwhelmingly, the evidence points to the first option)
  2. Prudent or Foolish? - {PDF Copy} - (At the conclusion of his sermon delivered on the mount, Jesus vested his words with ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY)
  3. Stand Fast! - {PDF Copy} - (Believers prepare for the apostasy and the man of lawlessness by standing firm in the Apostolic traditions)
  4. Hidden Mysteries Unveiled - {PDF Copy} - (All God's mysteries are revealed in Jesus Christ, especially in his death and resurrection)
  5. Literal and Nonliteral Language - {PDF Copy} - (Revelation informs the reader from the very first verse of the book that it communicates symbolically)
  6. Jesus is the Key - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the key that unlocks the Hebrew Scriptures and reveals the nature and redemptive purpose of God)
  7. Christianity's Forgotten Hope - {PDF Copy} - (Central to the hope of the apostolic church was the bodily resurrection of the dead at the end of the age when Jesus returns)


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