What is the Priesthood of Every Believer?

by
What is the Priesthood of Every Believer? explains this neecssary and essential Bible doctrine and how it works.

What is the Priesthood of Every Believer? explains this neecssary and essential Bible doctrine and how it works.

The short definition is that God has ordered every single believer (saved person) in this dispensation of the New Testament to be a priest before God, offering sacrifices and serving God and the body of Christ.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Revelation 1:6 (God) hath made us… priests unto God

If words mean something, then God declaring us to be a royal priesthood should mean something. We are not under the Old Testament rule and structure of things. In other words, we (all male believers) do not go to the temple in Jerusalem to offer a sacrifical lamb. The temple is closed as far as offering animal sacrifices, and a non-Jew would not be allowed in to sacrifice anyway. Moreover, under the Old Testament law, no Israelite was allowed to offer sacrifice in the temple except with the help or mediation of a legitimate Jewish priest. Messianic Jews try to mix New and Old Testament such as forcing the New Testament believers to obey the Old Testament law, and that is just not possible today.

Read more

Are Bus Ministries Biblical?

by

I would like to examine the typical bus ministry in a local church. My desire is to get a “biblical” philosophy on how to use a bus in a local church and to attack some unbiblical things that I see greatly abusing God’s work in relationship to this. What we want to do is to develop a general ministry philosophy on how to do a bus ministry. In my defense, I will say that I have never had my own bus ministry, but I was placed in charge of one that had about 200 children coming in, and I oversaw what was already set up.

Clarification: I do not believe it is a sin to use a bus, van, or individual cars to pick up people and bring them to church. This is not the issue here. Many churches have buses that run to pick up whole families, and individual adults (elderly, or poor) and in these, children are brought in with these adults. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that kind of thing. I think it is the healthy, wholesome kind of ministry that any church that can do it, and needs to do it, should do it. That ministry is not what I am directing this article against. I think that kind of bus use is tremendous, and I would encourage churches to take that option if they feel lead of the Lord to do so.

Read more

Evangelistic Character

by

True Biblical Character for Evangelists (Evangelistic Character)

1Thess 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

Paul wrote this epistle focusing in part on their work and character among the Thessalonians when they were evangelizing them. What is amazing is that apparently Paul was with them for a short month, and yet he left a vibrant church. This high effectiveness has to be explained by the Holy Spirit working among them, yet at the same time, it is that evidence of the Holy Spirit working through their moral character and life as the Thessalonians saw them.

This epistle reveals that Paul was worried about his own ministry, specifically that he was doing it correctly before God. The assurance that he was doing it correctly is in the gospel he gave, and his own personal testimony. This was reflected in the results of his ministry, specifically the fruit of his ministry as seen in the life of the church at Thessalonica.

Read more