“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb 11:1.

The New Testament was originally written in Greek. The Old Testament was originally written in Aramaic and Hebrew. It is important to know the original words written and their meanings. It helps to put everything in its proper context. These give the reader of the Word greater insight to the actual meaning of the Scriptures. Although the greatest insight comes from the Holy Spirit.

Strong’s Concordance defines the Greek word for ‘faith’ as ‘pistis’ - persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

Strong’s Concordance defines the Greek word for ‘believe’ as ‘pisteuo’ - from pistis- to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ):--believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.

It’s sexy among young people — my generation — to talk about ditching institutional religion and starting a revolution of real Christ-followers living in real community without the confines of church. Besides being unbiblical, such notions of churchless Christianity are unrealistic. It’s immaturity actually, like the newly engaged couple who think romance preserves the marriage, when the couple celebrating their golden anniversary know it’s the institution of marriage that preserves the romance. Without the God-given habit of corporate worship and the God-given mandate of corporate accountability, we will not prove faithful over the long haul.

What we need are fewer revolutionaries and a few more plodding visionaries. That’s my dream for the church — a multitude of faithful, risktaking plodders. The best churches are full of gospel-saturated people holding tenaciously to a vision of godly obedience and God’s glory, and pursuing that godliness and glory with relentless, often unnoticed, plodding consistency.

For the last several years, in a quest for a New Testament church functioning with the Order and Blessing of those churches formed in the Book of Acts, I’ve been drawn to the study of the one requirement for that kind of church, unity.

As I studied unity, I discovered the complexities traditional, hierarchal denominal leadership interjects into relationships, specifically those relationships of pastors.  One of the things that I find most interesting is the response of men who follow those who have labored to establish the churches they have been privileged to take the leadership of.  I have been perplexed by the absolute disrespect our elders seem to receive from those who follow them in ministry!  It is almost as if every generation of leaders feels compelled to distance themselves from their predecessors by annulling their work, and often with apparent disdain.

When it hit me afresh again, Israel seemed to always struggle in her LOVE AFFAIR.  She is often rebuked for whoring after other gods, peoples, lands, cities, nations, gold, commerce, business, women, etc...

So, I started writing and this is what I penned... (yes, this is a rare look through the portal of transparency into the dirty side of creativity's first draft)

The results of an affair: you have intercourse without intimacy; gratification without love; infatuation without fruition; excitement without responsibility; discovery without respect, and intrigue without fulfillment. You spend the currency of your trust, nevermore to be regained; for once it is lost it cannot be reclaimed. Questions will haunt you as you walk the fare to your future; and where love tries to abide, there fear will share to hide!

#1 – “The Church Is Not A Business But Rather A Hospital For Sinners.”

Uh…ok, the problem with this argument is…a hospital IS a business…and if it is not ran properly then it will have to close its doors, thus losing its effectiveness in helping those it has been called to reach.

Like it or not in church world today leadership matters.  God made sure we knew that leadership IS a spiritual gift and the reason it has been given was to help the church be more and more effective.

I personally believe the church should be the best ran organization on the planet because God has gifted and called leaders to lead AND filled them with HIS Holy Spirit so that they can do so.