Each member of a congregation of believers has a calling, each has been given grace, and as each part does its share, the body grows – the body of Jesus is built, because love holds us together and accomplishes the miracle. Every believer has an important part to perform in the building process. Each believer must listen to the Head of the body in order to find his/her part and […]
Author Archive: Douglas Thomas
The Foundation
The foundation of the Ekklesia of Jesus is Jesus. He is the Cornerstone of the entire building. A cornerstone in a building is either decorative, listing the builders or owners or designers or financial benefactors who created the building, or is operative, defining the three dimensions of depth, width and height as a cube. Any vertical line or plane in a building that has its shape defined by a genuine […]
Kingdom Business
I saw a news item today that was new back in August. It will take a little time if you read it, but you may find it worth it. There is video also. It is the story of a young business man in Seattle whose generosity-based work ethic seems to be sourced in his relationship with his King. Part of the story is how his generosity caused fear and jealousy […]
A New Pharaoh
Israel, whose birth name was Jacob, had 12 sons. Joseph, one of his sons, was sold into slavery by some of his brothers. His path of slavery was anointed by Yahweh and used to put him in Pharaoh’s prison so that when God spoke to Pharaoh in dreams that no one else could interpret, Joseph would be needed by the government to lead them by having the answers about the […]
Anticipate Success
Yahweh did not pick you because your credentials implied that you were the best choice for the position He had open. He rewards obedience, so being cooperative may improve your status in Heaven, but He has picked people who were directly opposed to what He was doing in the earth. Cyrus, king of Persia, was picked by Yahweh because He loved Jacob and because He wanted it known throughout the […]
Acts 15
Paul was followed through most of his church-planting ministry by the people he made mad when he emptied their synagogue to create a congregation. They demanded that Jews remain Kosher and God fearing Gentiles become Kosher. “No one can please Yahweh without obeying the Torah,” they instructed. “It’s OK that you God fearers have become believers in Yeshua, but you can’t be a good believer without being a good Jew.” […]
Ruler
Are you most comfortable when you know ALL of the rules and feel like you are complying with them and are, therefore, blameless? Even the rules that Yahweh gave to Israel in order to make them His nation can’t make you able to walk in righteousness. Only discerning the voice of the Ruler will make you have true comfort, and empower you to righteousness. No one ever became righteous by […]
Finish Line
The Finish Line on your most important project is out of your reach and out of your control. As you approach it, it could change distance and direction. The adventures between where you are and where it is are yet to be surprising. Or astonishing, or disappointing… The Start Line, however, is right in front of your toe. Any changes that are made regarding the Prize or the location of […]
The Two Sons
A man had two sons. One was anxious to receive his inheritance, so he asked for it. The man gave each son his half of the estate in response. The son who was anxious went out and wasted his inheritance. The other son stayed home and ran the farm. One day, the anxious son realized that his father had not thrown him out, but that he had left on his […]
Pre-Believers
Keith Greene was a musician, worshiper, and world class evangelist who met Jesus during the Jesus Movement of the 60’s & 70’s. He died in a plane crash while evangelizing in South America. During his concerts, he would inspire evangelists in the crowd to charge the gates of hell to bring back unbelievers from damnation. He would convince everyone in the crowd who wasn’t an evangelist that they deserved to […]