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Christ Himself is the model of unity with diversity for every local church. This is the point of 1 Corinthians 12:12 in the Bible. “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” There is no innate division in the person of Jesus Christ.

Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead? I mean a person who died in faith who will someday be raised again in the likeness of Christ. Do you live in the hope of the resurrection? These believers in Corinth were like many today. They were saved out of a culture that is anti-God and anti-Christ, thus they were confused about many of the Biblical teachings of the newfound Christian Faith.

I am not big on New Year’s resolutions; are you? James, the Lord’s half-brother, had a good point when he wrote: “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your 'yes' be yes and your 'no' be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” James 5:12 (ESV)

Why call them ‘Big-box Churches?’ For years, we have watched large chain stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, and Walmart arrive in cities, towns, and villages, offering ‘more for less.’ It doesn’t take the average consumer long to realize that the motto is true; more can be purchased for less. And thus the switch is quickly made from hometown hardware store to the global purchasing power of the chain. Clothing shops, hardware stores, variety and specialty venues start closing because they cannot compete with the streamlined, cut-down, mass appeal of the chain store and its slick advertising. Over the years, these large-scale operations managed from HQ, with their cheap, imported goods, have been nicknamed ‘Big-box Stores’ because that is how they receive their large quantities of imported goods. I have observed parallels between this phenomenon and that found in some in the mega-church movement — orders from HQ, instant funding, slick marketing, aggressive competition, and imported preaching and/or doctrine.

God’s people do not take their direction from the surrounding culture, which the Apostle Paul says is not “thankful” (Romans 1:21-22). God’s redeemed people take their instructions from God’s revelation found in His Word, the Bible (John 17:13-19; 18:37).

I don’t know if it disturbs you as much as it does me, but when someone asks for praise, usually after prayer requests, we are tongue-tied.

Great pressure is now being applied to the Evangelical and Reformed world to socialize the gospel. Groups, writers, seminaries, mission organizations, denominations, churches, and pastors are being marshaled to correct the injustices and ills of Western societies. This is all being done in the name of “applying the gospel.”

We’ve all heard the saying, “Most people who quit and walked away from a goal would be shocked if they knew how close they were to success.” Ecclesiastes, no doubt, instructs that ‘there is a time to persevere and a time to cease laboring at a thing.’

Starting well has its challenges but continuing takes perseverance. Pastor John MacArthur, a former college track runner, illustrates this truth well.

The Patriarch Jacob was like many who grew up in the church. He knew about God. He'd watched his parents worship and build their lives around the biblical faith. He wasn't opposed to it. He kind of believed it too. But in reality, Jacob had not really come to God himself. If the truth were told, he was simply coasting off his father's faith.