Tag: practice of the church life
Acts 15 and Matthew 18 show us a critical point concerning authority, namely that authority derives from the Lord’s presence. This has great significance in our practice of fellowship and prayer. Acts 15 is the unique record of a gathering of elders and co-workers regarding a problem troubling the churches; … Continue reading The Source of Authority—The Lord’s Presence
The Apostle Paul’s ministry shows us Christ as the center of God’s economy, the cross as the center of God’s operation in His economy, and the church, the Body of Christ, as the product of God’s economy (1 Cor. 1:23; Gal. 3:1; Eph. 3:8-10). Realizing this has profound implications for … Continue reading Christ, the Cross, and the Church
Marriage is a great matter in the Bible. The record of God’s restoration of His creation in Genesis 1 and 2 consummates with the marriage of one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve. The Scriptures also conclude with a marriage as the fulfillment of God’s eternal economy (Rev. 19:7; 21:9-11). … Continue reading Holding Marriage in Honor
The fellowship of life in the Body of Christ is a most precious and vital matter (1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Cor. 13:14; Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:1-7). We should grieve whenever a brother or sister loses that fellowship for whatever reason, whether it be the church’s discipline exercised on that … Continue reading Restoring Fellowship in the Body of Christ
The Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread, and having given thanks, He broke it and said, This is My body, which is given for you; this do unto the remembrance of Me. Similarly also the cup after they had dined, saying, This cup … Continue reading Coming to the Lord’s Table
The New Testament presents the church as universally one in its existence and locally one in its manifestation (Eph. 1:22-23; Acts 13:1). Yet Christians today are divided among a plethora of denominations and local sects. Underlying these divisions are innumerable grounds advanced to justify their existence and separation from other … Continue reading Assailing the Ground of Oneness (7): The Identifying Characteristics of a Genuine Local Church and the Forbidden Grounds of Division According to the Scriptures
If we want to be those who are practically part of God’s corporate warrior in Ephesians 6, we must learn how to quench the flaming darts of the enemy. Verse 16 speaks of “having taken up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the … Continue reading Quenching the Flaming Darts of the Enemy
The book of Philippians shows us the great need that believers have in times of turmoil. The church in Philippi was a very good church that participated with the apostle Paul in the furtherance of the gospel (Phil. 1:5-7; 4:14-19). However, it had two problems—Judaizers who sought to bring the … Continue reading Magnifying Christ in the Midst of Turmoil
The story of Cain and Abel, the first two sons of Adam and Eve, establishes an important principle that the worship of God should not be according to man’s thought but according to God’s revelation (Gen. 4:3-8). Abel offered a lamb according to God’s revelation, but Cain offered the fruit … Continue reading Assailing the Ground of Oneness (5): God’s Choice versus Doing What Is Right in Our Own Eyes
Matthew 18:20 contains a wonderful promise: “For where two or three are gathered into My name, there am I in their midst.” However, some have misused this verse to discount the need for local churches established and built up on the proper ground. They claim that the gathering of two … Continue reading Assailing the Ground of Oneness (6): The Ground of the Church Being for the Building Up of the Body of Christ
Those who bear responsibility in the ministry, the work, and the churches in the Lord’s recovery have a biblically mandated responsibility to protect the flock (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Pet. 5:2; Titus 1:9). In performing that duty they may advise the saints not to read writings in print or on the … Continue reading Being Safeguarded by the Discernment in the Body
Because the Lord is continually advancing to carry out His economy, His people must advance with Him. Individuals are finite in terms of their lifespan and what experiences they can acquire of the Lord during their life. The lessons learned through precious experiences of Christ, the cross, and the Body … Continue reading A Harmonious Coordination between Generations to Advance God’s Move
The Bible says that we are to forgive one another as God in Christ forgave us (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13). This is a crucial factor in practicing the church life for the building up of the Body of Christ and thus merits our attention in these days. Practicing Forgiveness in … Continue reading Forgiveness and the Building Up of the Body of Christ
In the New Testament the word for ministry means “service.” The unique New Testament ministry is a service in the form of a stewardship of grace that ministers Christ to people for the accomplishment of His purpose (2 Cor. 4:1, 12; 1 Tim. 1:12; Eph. 3:2; Col. 1:25; 2 Cor. … Continue reading The Relationship between Living Stream Ministry and the Local Churches
In light of the current pandemic the co-workers in the Lord’s recovery released a letter on March 26, 2020, to the saints in all the churches in the Lord’s recovery throughout the earth. This letter provides a timely word of encouragement concerning the sufficiency of Christ and the need to … Continue reading Letter from the Co-workers, 3/26/20
In the Bible the words of three parties—God, Satan, and man—are very significant. As the Word of God, the Bible speaks forth God’s person, intent, and work. By His word He framed the universe (Heb. 11:3). When God came in the person of the Lord Jesus, His words were spirit … Continue reading Words That Spread Death and How to Stop Them
Some have claimed that questions are not allowed in the local churches. On the one hand, this should not be true in any local church. On the other hand, all the saints must discern between proper and improper questions and between questions and questionings. A proper question takes as its … Continue reading Questions versus Questionings
Who has the authority to appoint and remove elders? According to the New Testament, apostles, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, have the authority to appoint elders in the churches (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5; Acts 20:28) and to remove elders when the need arises. If an elder becomes a problem, … Continue reading Questions and Answers about Apostles and Co-workers
Some have argued that the church in Jerusalem was a regional church, that is, a single church that has jurisdiction over an area much broader than the boundary of a city. But how is this proposition arrived at? Does it accord with Scripture? And if not, why is it being … Continue reading Assailing the Ground of Oneness (3): Was the Church in Jerusalem a “Regional” Church?
By misrepresenting Witness Lee’s teaching concerning Noah and his three sons, some have falsely claimed that he justified covering up gross sins, particularly if the sinning one occupies a position of authority. Any who appeal to his teaching on Noah and his sons to justify covering up gross sins are … Continue reading Covering, Not Covering Up
Developing, updating, and implementing policies to handle a variety of issues, including deterrence strategies and response practices related to physical, psychological, and sexual abuse or harassment, has been an ongoing process among the local churches. Similar efforts are ongoing among those who take the lead in extra-local work among the … Continue reading Handling Allegations of Abuse
Because the church is composed of redeemed sinners who are in the process of transformation, it is inevitable that there will be problems among the saints. No one can say that they no longer have sin or that they have been transformed to the extent that their flesh, self, or … Continue reading The Proper Way to Deal with Problems in the Church
Because the matter of deputy authority has been misrepresented and maligned, the following questions and answers seek to clarify what it is, what it is not, and the principles that govern it. Is deputy authority biblical? Deputy authority is not only biblical; it is a vital part of the divine … Continue reading Some Questions and Answers Regarding Deputy Authority
Some on social media have used a short out-of-context excerpt from Witness Lee’s Life-study of First Peter, omitting both context and balance, to support a spurious claim that he denigrates women. These sources begin with a sentence from the middle of a paragraph in his message that says, “Therefore, as … Continue reading Concerning the Ministry’s Attitude toward Sisters