Will the real church please stand up? We exist in a world of extreme flux and volatilityone that is unpredictable and filled with pain. But why? Could it be that the church who was intended to be a model and beacon of light in the earth has instead become a follower and dispenser of the same ills that malign our landscape? The church, in her pursuit to have church, has somehow lost her way; the church as an institution has exploded (possibly morphing into something not recognized by its author) while the organism has suffered, causing her to forfeit the influence and power and connection she once possessed. In Perspectives on a Real Church, we take a look at what and who the church isboth where she has been and is, currently with the hope of charting a path toward where she could be. This literary work takes a look at what the real church should be and seeks to objectively look at whether or not our church is meeting the standard, as well as what can be done in the places where she needs to step up. One thing is for certain, and that is that the church was created for both goodness and greatness, that she was intended as a radical transformative agent in a context where transformation is much needed. When the church becomes what she was intended, thenand only thencan she be a catalyst for resurgence and revival to both believers and nonbelievers alike. The world in turn, will be a better place more capable of reaching its full potential.

The relationship between Israel and the church is one of the most debated issues in the history of theology. Some hold the view that there is almost seamless continuity between Israel and the church, while others believe there is very little continuity. Additional perspectives lie between these two. This debate has contributed to the formation of denominations and produced a variety of political views about the state of Israel. To advance the conversation, Perspectives on Israel and the Church brings together respected theologians representing four positions: Traditional covenantal view by Robert L. Reymond Traditional dispensational view by Robert L. Thomas Progressive dispensational view by Robert L. Saucy Progressive covenantal view by Chad Brand and Tom Pratt Jr.

Every church is called to some form of family ministry, but this calling requires far more than adding another program to an already-packed schedule. The most effective family ministries refocus every church process to engage parents in discipling their children and to draw family members together instead of pulling them apart. In this second edition, Jones expands the definition of family ministry, and broadens the book's focus to address urban perspectives and family ministry in diverse settings.

Perspectives on Church Government presents in counterpoint form the basic models of church government which have developed over the course of church history with a view toward determining which is most faithful to Scripture. Each chapter will be written by a prominent person from within each tradition—with specific guidelines dealing with the biblical, historical, and theological issues within each governance tradition. In addition, each writer will have the opportunity to give a brief response to the other traditions.

"How can you believe all this stuff? This is the number-one question Catholics get asked and, sometimes, we ask ourselves. Why do we believe that God exists, that he became a man and came to save us, that what looks like a wafer of bread is actually his body? Why do we believe that he inspired a holy book and founded an infallible Church to teach us the one true way to live? Ever since he became Catholic, Trent Horn has spent a lot of time answering these questions, trying to explain to friends, family, and total strangers the reasons for his Catholic faith. Some didn't believe in God, or even in the existence of truth. Others said they were spiritual but didn't think you needed religion to be happy. Some were Christians who thought Catholic doctrines over-complicated the pure gospel. And some were fellow Catholics who had a hard time understanding everything they professed to believe on Sunday. Why We're Catholic assembles the clearest, friendliest, most helpful answers that Trent learned to give to all these people and more. Beginning with how we can know reality and ending with our hope of eternal life, it s the perfect way to help skeptics and seekers (or Catholics who want to firm up their faith) understand the evidence that bolsters our belief and brings us joy" --

Originally published: Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, c1986.

A renowned scholar calls for a change of direction for the study of Jesus in the 21st century.

The church in the true sense of the word refers to "All who have been Redeemed," Or groups of Christians assembled for worship. The basis on which most churches operate it is quite apparent that they have not conceptualized the huge separation that exists between the church and the world, between light and darkness. The church is made up of individuals or groups of people who have been sanctified or set apart as holy unto the Lord. We all have the same equal opportunity to be one of those sanctified ones because God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. It is in Christ Jesus that we all live and move and have our being; He is the vine and we are the branches. We have all been given the equal opportunity in order that in the coming age, God the Father might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Those who have accepted the invitation to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and have not received the grace of God in vain, have become a special people to God. They do not become special because of anything that they have done, but rather it is, "When the kindness and love of God our Savior towards man appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy, He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7) Remember, it is by grace we all have been saved, through faith, and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast. Therefore those who are sanctified have nothing to boast about, and should not hold those who are not yet sanctified in condemnation: neither should those who are not sanctified hold those who are sanctified in contempt. However those who are sanctified, and are being sanctified must raise their consciousness and come to the realization as who they really are, and the reason for being chosen in Christ Jesus even before the foundation of the world. The titles which are assigned to the church are clear indications of the intimate relationship the church enjoys with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The church for example is referred to as, the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ, the flock of God, the temple of God, the household of God, the habitation of God, God's spiritual house, God's building, God's husbandry etc. This means that the church is inter-related with the Father and the Son. The apostle John wrote: "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us: And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1John 1:3). However, despite the close relationship the church enjoys with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, there is a basis, or a fundamental principle by which the church can have fellowship with the Father. The church therefore has an obligation which is not towards the sinful nature, to live according to it, for if we live according to the sinful nature we shall die, despite the fact that God has saved it. Hence the reason Jude reminds us by saying; 'But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe." We therefore have an obligation to live in accordance to the Spirit, if we want to live. It is therefore incumbent on the church to become slaves of righteousness, because having been set free from sin the requirement is to become slaves of righteousness. The world's condemnation is that, The light who is Jesus Christ has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.