The most mature Christians will be evidenced by their ability to appreciate and embrace those who are different, but are of the same faith in Christ. Only when we start to understand and appreciate the differences in the different parts of the body will we ever fit together properly, learn to function together, and thereby multiply our fruitfulness.

We need to understand and learn to separate our Phase I, II, and III operations. People who are best in each one should keep them vitally connected so that the fruit of one is built upon by the next one. It...

As we have previously discussed, it is likely that some of the greatest Christian leaders and missionaries to have ever lived are alive and serving now. Even so, as much as 90 to 95 percent of Christian missions are either ineffective or counterproductive—sometimes being negative witnesses for the gospel. There are various reasons for this, but most of these missionaries are good Christians, devoted to their work, and would be appalled at the thought that their work could actually be counterproductive to the cause of Christ. However, the problem may not be with them as much as it is a...

The church is going through a transition right now. The form of the church that has evolved through the last few centuries will not be able to survive the coming times. Like John the Baptist was honored by the Lord, we should honor the church of the past for all that it has accomplished. But another type of leadership is being raised up that we must now follow. One will decrease and one will increase.

As we have discussed, leadership in a transition is different from the type of leadership that may be effective in other times. The leader...

Last week, in discussing how the Lord refers to Himself as "the Lord of armies" more than ten times as much as all of His other titles, He obviously considers this aspect of His leadership as primary to His purpose. We will see this aspect becoming primary in the church in the times to come, but we must always keep in mind that the Lord's ways are higher than our ways, and His military demeanor, in many ways, will be different from the world's ways.

As we have covered before, the Lord is the Creator who loves...

The Lord uses the title "Lord of hosts," or "Lord of armies," over ten times more than He uses any of His other titles. He is a martial God, a military leader. In the time to come, we will see the whole advancing church taking on a military demeanor—one of such discipline and resolve that the world's military leaders will envy it. There will be basic ways that the Lord's army will be different from any other army in the world, but it will be more powerful and more effective in attaining its objectives.  

No...