The Assembly

By
{THE PEOPLE OF GOD}

[Click on the title below to open an article]


{IDENTITY AND MISSION}
  1. Ekklesia - Assembly - {PDF Copy} - (The Christian use of the term church or ekklésia is derived from the assembly of Yahweh gathered for worship in the Hebrew Bible)
  2. The Salvation of the Nations - {PDF Copy} - (The Good News announced by Jesus of Nazareth offers salvation and life to men and women of every nation and nationality)
  3. His Witnesses - {PDF Copy} - (The men purchased from every nation by the Lamb become his priestly witnesses who persevere in the Testimony of Jesus)
  4. The Spirit and Mission - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus dispenses the Gift of the Spirit to his people to empower them to carry out the proclamation of the Gospel to the Earth)
  5. The Final Harvest - {PDF Copy} - (The outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost fulfilled what the feast symbolized and marked the start of the Final Harvest)
  6. His Priestly Kingdom - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples reign with Jesus as priests who render service in his Tabernacle and mediate his light and Word in the World)
  7. One Spirit, One People - {PDF Copy} - (By his death and resurrection, Jesus formed one covenant community - One New Man - based on faith in him, not ethnicity or nationality – Ephesians 2:11-22)
  8. The Promise of the Father - {PDF Copy} - (With the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the blessings for all nations promised to Abraham commenced)
  9. The Sanctuary of God - {PDF Copy} - (The New Testament applies Temple language from the Hebrew Bible to the Assembly, the Body of Christ, the true Sanctuary of God)
  10. The Final Sign - {PDF Copy} - (According to Jesus. the End will not come until this Gospel of the Kingdom of God has been proclaimed to all nations – Matthew 24:14)
  11. Reign of the Saints - {PDF Copy} - (The saints reign as a kingdom of priests during the thousand years, having overcome the Beast)
  12. 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 – Mark 10:35-45)
  13. 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)
  14. Servant or Caesar? - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus rejected Satan’s offer of unlimited political power and instead chose of the way of the Suffering Servant - Matthew 4:8-11)
  15. Spiritual Warfare - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples wage spiritual warfare through right conduct, acts of love, and proclaiming the gospel)
  16. The Mission - {PDF Copy} - (The mission of the Assembly of Jesus is to proclaim the Good News of his Kingdom to all Nations until he returns – Matthew 24:14)
  17. Salvation through Jesus - {PDF Copy} - (The Gospel of the Kingdom announced by Jesus Christ offers Salvation and life to men and women of every nation and people)
  18. Both Jews and Gentiles - {PDF Copy} - (The equality of Jews and Gentiles before an impartial and just God is pivotal to Paul’s Gospel. They stand or fall before Him on the same basis)
  19. Inheritance of Abraham - {PDF Copy} - (Believers are the heirs of Abraham, and the possession of their inheritance is secured by possession of the Gift of the Spirit)
  20. Coheirs with Jesus - {PDF Copy} - (The covenant with Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus, his seed and heir, including the promise of land – Romans 8:1-23)
  21. The Covenant Promises - {PDF Copy} - (The Gift of the Spirit is part of the New Covenant, the first fruits of the New Creation, and the gathering of the nations in fulfillment of the covenant)
  22. An End-Time People - (The church is the battlefield where the final war is being waged between the Lamb and the Ancient Serpent, Satan) - {PDF Copy}
  23. Redeemed by His Blood - (In Revelation, the one people of God is composed of the men and women purchased from every nation through the death of Jesus) - {PDF Copy}
    24.
  24. Kingdom or Christendom - {PDF Copy} - (‘Christendom’ is the idolatrous term employed to invoke God in support of national and political institutions, programs, and ideologies)
    25.
  25. 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)
    26.
  26. One in Christ Jesus - {PDF Copy} - (Returning to the custodianship of the Law would mean rebuilding the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles)
  27. One Message for All - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus calls us to proclaim the Good News of his Kingdom to every nation and inhabited part of the Earth)
  28. Bearing Witness to Israel - {PDF Copy} - (Under the guidance of the Spirit, Stephen gave eloquent and effective testimony to the leaders of Israel)
  29. Stephen Bears Witness - {PDF Copy} - (Under the guidance of the Spirit, Stephen gave eloquent and effective testimony to the leaders of Israel)
  30. Seizing the Kingdom? - {PDF Copy} - (Christ’s comment about violence taking the kingdom refers to violent men who attempt to seize and destroy the work of God – Matthew 11:12)
  31. Fleeting Power - (In the end, only God’s kingdom will prevail and endure. All other political powers are transitory, and already they are passing away) - {PDF Copy}
  32. Living Water - {PDF Copy} - (In Samaria, Jesus revealed that the presence of God no longer is limited to specific locations or man-made structures – John 4:20-24)
  33. The Blessing of Abraham - {PDF Copy} - (The Gift of the Spirit is one of God’s covenant promises and his ways of blessing all Nations in Abraham’s Seed)
  34. Priestly Son of Man - {PDF Copy} - (The first vision presents the image of Jesus as one like a Son of Man, a priestly figure who walks among the Assemblies of Asia – Revelation 1:9-20)

{DISCIPLESHIP}
  1. Following the Lamb - {PDF Copy} - (The Messiah of Israel submitted to the way of the Cross and summoned his disciples to follow his example in their daily lives)
  2. Food and Calendars - {PDF Copy} - (Paul argues for tolerance on matters of food and the observation of holy days – The shadows now find their fulfillment in Jesus)
  3. "Rejoice and Exult!" - {PDF Copy} - (The followers of Jesus are called to rejoice when they are found worthy to suffer for him and his Gospel)
  4. Delivered Up - {PDF Copy} - (To be the disciple of Jesus means living a life of self-sacrificial service to others, especially to the weak and the insignificant)
  5. Though He Slays Me - {PDF Copy} - (Like Job, the Christian's commitment to Jesus must be total regardless of what else happens)
  6. Rejection and Suffering - {PDF Copy} - (To be the Messiah entailed suffering and death for others, and Jesus summoned his disciples to follow his example – Mark 8:31)
  7. On the Way - {PDF Copy} - (On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explained what it meant to be the Messiah and the destiny of the suffering Son of Man - Mark 8:27-38)
  8. His Path - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God, a reality distinct from the political realms and governments of this age)
  9. The Mind of Christ - {PDF Copy} - (The submission of Jesus to an unjust death becomes the paradigm for the love and service to others that disciples are summoned to manifest)
  10. Overflowing Righteousness - {PDF Copy} - (Mercy and love are the defining characteristics of the disciples of Jesus, and they reflect the essential nature of his Father – Matthew 5:43-48)
  11. The Spiritual Man - {PDF Copy} - (The spiritually-minded man understands that the Gospel of Christ Crucified is God’s true power and wisdom - 1 Corinthians 2:14)
  12. The Way of the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus wherever he goes necessitates a lifetime of self-denial and sacrificial service for others and a willingness to lose all for the Gospel)
  13. Opposition and Rejection - {PDF Copy} - (To be the disciple of Jesus one must take up the cross and follow in his footsteps, even if it results in rejection, impoverishment, or death - Mark 6:7-30)
  14. Suffering for Him - {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)
  15. Appointed for Tribulation - {PDF Copy} - (The disciple who faithfully bears witness to the Gospel and Jesus will endure tribulation and persecution for his sake)
  16. Forgive your Persecutor - {PDF Copy} - (How we react to hostility and persecution demonstrates exactly whose disciple we are, and whose kingdom we serve)
  17. The Imperative of the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (Christ Crucified is the example we are summoned to follow daily, and it is the test of the genuine Apostolic Faith and true spirituality)
  18. Wise or Foolish? - {PDF Copy} - (After his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus claimed absolute authority for his words. Disciples ignore them at their peril – Matthew 7:21-28)
  19. Ransom for Many - {PDF Copy} - (Christ’s disciples are called to self-sacrificial service for others just as Jesus gave his life to ransom many from sin’s bondage – Mark 10:35-45)
  20. Faithful or Saltless - {PDF Copy} - (Faithful disciples will receive great rewards, but those who harm their weaker brethren risk condemnation to Gehenna)
  21. Sanctified Wholly - {PDF Copy} - (Considering the future arrival of Jesus, Paul summons the Assembly to become sanctified completely by that Day – 1 Thessalonians 5:23)
  22. Blameless in Holiness - {PDF Copy} - (Paul prays for the Thessalonians to be found holy and blameless on the day when Jesus arrives in glory – 1 Thessalonians 3:13)
  23. Do Not Drift Away - {PDF Copy} - (The Letter gives dire warnings of the consequences for failing to heed the superior word spoken by God in His Son – Hebrews 1:4-2:7)
  24. Tribulation vs 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)
  25. Rudimentary Things - {PDF Copy} - (The Messianic Age dawned in Jesus, therefore calendrical rituals and other Levitical regulations belong to a now obsolete order)

{SOCIETY AND STATE}
  1. Empires Rise and Fall - (Imperial arrogance is the legacy of the Tower of Babel, humanity’s first but certainly not last attempt to establish the World Empire) - {PDF Copy}
  2. Paul on the State - {PDF Copy} - (Paul instructed believers living in the Roman Empire not to resist the government since its existence and authority were arranged by God – Romans 13:1-8)
  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 Man of Lawlessness will be unveiled when he seats himself in the House of God - 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
  5. Golgotha or Rome - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus refused the political power of Rome when Satan offered it. So, why do we insist on seeking the very thing our Master rejected?)

{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. Hold Fast to the Word! - {PDF Copy} - (Followers of Jesus must cling tenaciously to the Word spoken in the Son or they will drift away from God’s gracious salvation)
  3. Prudent or Foolish? - {PDF Copy} - (At the conclusion of his sermon delivered on the mount, Jesus placed absolute authority in his words)
  4. Stand Fast! - {PDF Copy} - (Believers prepare for the Apostasy and the coming Man of Lawlessness by committing themselves to the traditions received from the Apostles)
  5. Mysteries Unveiled in Jesus - {PDF Copy} - (Scripture declares that all God’s mysteries are revealed in Jesus. So, why are we looking for revelation elsewhere? - Romans 16:25)
  6. Literal vs Nonliteral - {PDF Copy} - (Revelation informs the reader from the very first verse of the book that it communicates visually and symbolically)
  7. Knowing God - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the interpretive key that unlocks the Hebrew Scriptures, Bible prophecy, and the nature of God for his disciples)
  8. Christianity's Vanishing Hope? - {PDF Copy} - (Central to the hope of the Apostolic Faith is the bodily resurrection of the dead at the end of the age)
  9. Revealing the Unseen God - {PDF Copy} - (The fullness, grace, and truth of God are found in the Word made Flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, who alone has seen the unseen God – John 1:14-18)

Churchyard in sunlight - Photo by Sigurdur Fjalar Jonsson on Unsplash
[Photo by Sigurdur Fjalar Jonsson on Unsplash]



POPULAR POSTS

Language of the New Testament

By
What was the original language of the documents that became the New Testament? For centuries, the scholarly consensus has been that it was written in the  Koiné  Greek dialect of the Eastern Roman Empire in the first century. However, there is a growing minority within the church that claims the New Testament was composed in the Hebrew or Aramaic language.
Read more

The Word Made Flesh

By
Image
Jesus is the ‘Logos’ made flesh, the Greater Tabernacle where the Glory of God is revealed for all men to behold – John 1:14. The Prologue of John’s Gospel presents key themes of the Book: The declaration that Jesus is the Word made flesh .” Life and Light are revealed in him. Christ is the true “ Tabernacle ” where God’s “ Glory ” resides, not the Tent in the Wilderness. What was anticipated in the History of Israel has become reality in the “ only born Son ” of God.
Read more