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Seventeen Signs You Are Building Your Own Empire, but Not God’s Kingdom

Ever since the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity divided in the 11^th century, some of the greatest fears of the once united Christendom have been realized: fragmentation and division. Even in the 16^thcentury, when Martin Luther led the Protestant Reformation, there was hope there would only be a few major expressions of the body of Christ. Never in their wildest dreams did the reformers envision all the denominations and various branches and networks of Christianity that have evolved, which has given opportunity for a spirit of lawlessness, independence and empire building among some insecure but gifted leaders.

Contrasts between the Apostolic Church and the Contemporary Church

There has been a movement the past four decades amongst various segments of the body of Christ towards embracing the way of Jesus and the apostles as found in the first century church. Extensive writing has been done in this regard by Jeff Reed, the founder of BILD International (www.bild.org) who has given his life over to writing about the Pauline model of church multiplication and leadership development. Most recently, Dr. C. Peter Wagner has started a network of leaders who have been launching a movement of apostolic centers in the United States and beyond! (Peter has a knack for sensing what is practically needed and then galvanizing a movement around it.)

6 Contrasts Between an Individualistic and a Corporate Mindset in the Kingdom

There is a strong individualistic mindset in North America and beyond. While this has many good qualities (which is not the subject of this article ) it also goes against the Hebraic corporate mindset of the scriptures. This has caused preaching, teaching and theology to impose views on the biblical text that is not in accord with the inspired writings of the authors.

The implications regarding this are vast since God knows what is best for us to fulfill our purpose and walk in spiritual and emotional health. It is obvious from Scripture that, it is best if each individual believer learn how to incorporate their life into the context of a faith community.

Nowadays, it is very common, even for people serving in leadership positions, to come to life altering conclusions without including mature leaders in their process. When this happens, it is the (culturally informed) individualistic mindset at work more than adherence to scripture.

The following six points reveal which mindset we are informed by the individualistic or corporate?

Ten Points that Contrast the Secular Corporate Model from the New Testament Church Model

1. The corporate model views others of their business ilk as their competition; the church model should be one of identifying ways to network and partner with churches in the community.

2. The corporate model hires outsiders for the best possible laborers; the church should primarily grow their workers from within.

11 Contrasting Traits between an Orphan Spirit and a Spirit of Sonship

Ever since Adam and Eve were alienated from God the Father in the Garden of Eden an orphan spirit has permeated the earth causing untold damage! (By “orphan” I am referring to a sense of abandonment, loneliness, alienation and isolation.) Almost immediately after the fall in Eden, the fruit of this orphan spirit resulted in jealousy culminating in Cain murdering his brother Abel because God the Father didn’t receive his offering. To make matters worse in contemporary society with the breakup of the nuclear family large amounts of people are not only alienated from God but are brought up without loving care and security of their biological fathers.

Seven Reasons Why Some Believers Follow Rock Star Pastors

The church has seen the rise of “celebrity cult status” pastors who act like spiritual superstars.

In this article I define rock stars as those who act as little gods who believe they are above everyone else. They walk around with an entourage, body guards, and are inaccessible to family, friends, high-level staff and peers, and are unaccountable islands to themselves.

10 Strange Teachings that have Crept into the Church Part II

For Part I, click here.

Part II

10 Strange Teachings that have Crept into the Church Part 1

Part I

As a pastor since 1984, I have seen and heard many “off the wall” and aberrant teachings. Some stick out more than others to me. The following ten teachings are unbalanced and strange teachings that have crept into the church:

Eleven Signs Your Church Youth Group Is Really Bad For Your Children

I write this in the context of having been a pastor for more than three decades as well as ministering in hundreds of local congregations. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly regarding youth groups. I learned a long time ago that just because your local church has a youth group, it is not always in the best interest of parents to encourage their children to attend. Also, in the case of functional Christian families, the parents have the primary responsibility of training their children, not the church youth group. (In cases where kids come in without Christian families behind them, then the church has to attempt to disciple them without parental aid, which is extremely difficult.) That being said, whether your child comes from a strong Christian family or not, a youth group can be a blessing or curse. Read More

Seven Principles for Church Planting According to the New Testament Pattern

I spent some quality time with one of the best church planters in a particular city. In just a few years, he has planted almost 10 campuses or extensions of the original church he started about 10 years ago. He was also involved in a prayer meeting with other church planters for several years. When I asked him if this weekly prayer meeting was still functional, he told me that it no longer exists because most of these planters are no longer ministering in the city and that many of the churches are either closed or are led by another pastor. He said that he has almost no pastor friends left in the area.

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