I still thought I had to attain a certain spiritual level of awesomeness before I could really receive grace.
That was until I read Roman 4:5, which I’d read plenty of times before, but that particular night God made it jump out of the page: “and to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” Romans 4:5
All right, so Christians can be rich. I know a few (I covet their shiny SUVs and their expensive looking handbags). But should Christians be rich? Are you already forming your response? People have visceral reactions regarding the topic of money, including anger, guilt, or shame. Here’s what I think about Christians and money…
This brief interview Stanley Hauerwas affords Dr. Hawerwas with the opportunity to explain why America’s warmongering and patriotism are incompatible with the gospel of peace.
Named “America’s Best Theologian” by Time magazine in 2001, Stanley Hauerwas teaches at both Duke Divinity School and also Duke Law School. His book, A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic, was selected as one of the 100 most important books on religion of the 20th century.
In this 7 minute video, Tim Mackie explains how the book of Revelation is structured. The apocalyptic genre of writing is already so tricky to read, so it is very helpful to have a general understanding of how the book of Revelation is composed so as to be a better reader of it.
the church and Israel are part of one another’s identity. Israel is the nation that has given birth to the church and will forever be connected to it. The church was born from Israel and is tied to Israel through Yeshua and the Messianic remnant and will forever have its identity in that connection.
How was Hitler able to convince Christian soldiers to kill other Christians in Poland, France, and Russia? Hasn’t something gone tragically wrong with the church when Christians can be persuaded to kill other Christians in the name of ideology and nationalism? The enduring catastrophe of Constantine subverting the kingdom of God was that the politics of Jesus were set aside for the interests of empire.
Francis Chan tackles two of the most insidious and destructive lies that are commonly propagated today. People tend to think they are good people. The Bible says otherwise. Also, people have a problem with the idea that God has wrath and will punish. If that were so, would we still find God to be good if he did not oppose the wickedness of the Devil? Probably not. We only want God to refrain from punishment when it is we who are on trial. Make no mistake, we are not good and God will punish sin.
See previous post to see this point applied to parenting. (more…)
So often we tell the sinner to “Just stop sinning and repent.” And when he returns to his sin again, his shame grows more and more as he starts to think that Jesus doesn’t care for him because if He did then He would have completely removed this thorn. I hear you. Yours is a constant refrain that I hear from Christians of various backgrounds, “Maybe I am lost. Why can’t I just get over this?” I have been there myself. “Why can’t I get over this? Why are you not helping me God?”
It wasn’t until the 19th Century that Calvin’s works were published far enough to gain a wide readership, so after his death there spanned an almost 300 year gap before his modern influence.
In order to explain how Reformed churches and Calvinist churches spread around the world, you have to look at other actors. The total effect of Calvinism came from these ad-hoc, haphazard efforts of churchmen, ministers, leaders in various parts of the world, without any kind of larger organization trying to coordinate them. (more…)
Why would God tell us to seek after something, and then turn around and allow us to receive something from the devil? He doesn’t.
On the contrary, He knows how to give good gifts to those who ask. Seeking spiritual gifts will NOT open you up to demonic influence.
Opening yourself up to demonic influence will open you up to demonic influence, not seeking God Himself, who withholds no good thing from them who ask and upon whom there is no shadow caused by turning.
Have you ever played the Leviticus game?
Player 1 begins with Leviticus 18:22, which says, “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.”
But if you want to continue playing the game, find as many crazy-sounding laws in the book of Leviticus as you can. The object of the game is to show that modern Christians should reject all of those laws, including the ones about homosexuality. The Leviticus game may be easy and fun, but it has problems.
Note: This article is a good read in light of our other recent post about how to read Leviticus.
July 4th is a quintessential American holiday. It’s the day we celebrate our independence. Let’s ask an important question, though: How does a disciple of Jesus celebrate independence in light of the teaching of Scripture to depend on God?
If the 4th of July is to be a celebration, let it be a celebration of Jesus as king. Let it be a celebration of our citizenship in His Kingdom. Let us celebrate God’s supremacy over all kingdoms and rulers. Let us celebrate that we are totally dependent upon God.
Do not get in the way and try to save the fool from his ruin. Let it happen. The consequence of his ruin may be exactly what the fool needs. Because God may use this ruin, this “rock bottom,” to soften his heart and bring regeneration. Continue to love the fool. Do not hate him, or despise him. The point in all this is we cannot use reason to turn a fool from his folly, and even rebuke and severe discipline may not work. But nobody is beyond hope.
After 2,000 years of Replacement Theology, the existence of devout Christians who support the Jewish State of Israel is a mind-blowing reality. Both Jews and Christians involved in this world should not take this support for granted. After all, the vast majority of Christian traditions regard the church and Israel as one-and-the-same, a transcendental entity without borders or boundaries in this world.
Tim Mackie shares a big picture overview of the book of Leviticus in order to help people know how to read it. Contrary to popular belief, Leviticus is not merely a book of tedious and arbitrary rules with no point or relevance for today. Indeed, it is a book with a very important message for all of God’s people, and it gives us a look at the ways of God. Most importantly, it provides much of the language and theological backdrop that is necessary to appreciate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This 6 minute video could revolutionize your view of the book of Leviticus. Enjoy…
Christians read (and quote) Scripture in tiny, artificial fragments all the time. And by doing so, do we alter the meaning without even realizing it. But the Twitterized Bible often leads us down the wrong path because it reinforces an artificial structure on the text. If I’m free to ignore the larger context, then it becomes easier to read the Bible like a narcissist. The thing is, the Bible is not all about me. It wasn’t even written to me. And ironically, if I’m going to get whatever it has for me, I need to start reading it with that in mind. (more…)
I’ve had lots of discussions with with folks over the years about how they think evangelism is to be done, and have written about it extensively. One idea keeps resurfacing. It’s the idea that we’ve got to convince people of the ‘bad news’ before we get to the ‘good news.’
Some people like to start their presentation of the gospel with a happy thought, such as, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” This was not Paul’s method.
Of course the mystery that is revealed in the New Covenant is that anyone, from any nation, regardless of race, gender or status, can come to the Messiah and receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
In the Kingdom there is no second class, but that doesn’t negate the fact that God will keep His promises to the people who brought His Messiah to the nations—Israel.
In my 43 years of ministry, 29 of those spent in the ministry of healing, I have taken more than 5,000 people all over the world, teaching and ministering healing, and I have seen this transformation happen over and over again. I have seen God take ordinary believers and transform them into ministers of the gospel who walk confidently in the power of the Spirit with miracles, signs and wonders following.
I want to share with you a few lessons I’ve learned on how this happens so you can experience this transformation too.
In this video, Dr. R.C. Sproul explains some important theological terms. Theologians distinguish between “common grace” and “saving grace.” Common grace is the idea that there is goodness and benefit given to all mankind in a multitude of ways (e.g. sunshine, rain, air to breathe, etc.). All people are recipients of common grace, regardless of their religious affiliation. Saving grace, on the other hand, is far more nuanced and specific. This is the grace that Paul speaks of that is given as a gift to save those who were perishing. Each of these kinds of grace have big implications for things such as evangelism, mercy ministry, ethics, and so forth. So, pull up a chair, make yourself comfortable, and get schooled in grace. (more…)
We might read the gospels and see all the crazy things Jesus did and we may think to ourselves, “I could never do that.” And yet Jesus has this to say:
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” – John 14:12
We learn from the example of Saul/Paul (and numerous others) that it is folly to utter the phrase “I could never do that.” In fact, it is heresy. It represents a denial of the Lordship of Jesus and a capitulation to the American narrative of personal comfort.
The story of Job shows us that we are foolish if we are trying to find a formula for getting God to bless us in our story, but we are wise if we submit to God’s story and accept his rule and reign as the Creator of all and Master over all. Job’s friends had a very simple formula that went something like this: Doing good stuff = getting God’s blessing, sinning = getting God’s curse. As their thinking went, Job was clearly under God’s curse, so he must have sinned. So, if Job simply admits his sin and gets back to doing good stuff, then he’ll get blessed again. To this, God says, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me” (42:7). In contrast to this foolishness, Job proves wise when he humbles himself and agrees that God can do all things and that his purposes will not be thwarted. In other words, he confesses that the story isn’t about him. This is God’s story, and creation proves it.
If you would have told me when I was a teenager that my wife would have seven tattoos, a history in drugs, alcohol, and attending heavy metal concerts, I would have laughed at you, given you one of my courtship books, and told you to take a hike. My plans were much different, much more nuanced with careful planning, much more clean-cut, and much more, well, about me.
This isn’t my dream – it’s better.
Apostasy is sort of a self disfellowship that leads to being mission-less and motionless, an attachment to detachment, or an unsanctified stationary posture. Apostasy is missional paralysis. Apostasy is un-sent-ness. Rejecting mission… God’s mission, is the path to apostasy. Resurrection, Christ’s and ours, is the solution. Therefore, holy brethren, be partakers of the heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession…
“Attached to every synagogue is a place devoted to the study of sacred writings and Holy Scripture. This area is called the Beit Midrash, the house of learning or study. Midrash literally means “investigation.” Here the Jewish people would gather to investigate, study, learn and argue the meanings and proper applications of their revered texts. In this environment, rich spiritual opportunities for learning are given to the participants that can never be obtained alone, or by simply listening to a lecturer give his or her own opinions. The opportunity to express one’s own thoughts and feelings, and engage in oftentimes very passionate and heated debate is a very stimulating intellectual and spiritual experience. It is also an extremely necessary and vital part of studying the Word of God, and growing in your personal relationship with the Lord. Without it the opportunities for “iron to sharpen iron” (Proverbs 27:17) will be limited and spiritual growth stunted. Being part of a Beit Midrash can literally transform not only the way you learn the scriptures but your personal relationship with the Lord.”
Jefferson Bethke released video a few years ago that went viral. In the video, he ranted about how he loves Jesus but hates religion. There is a story behind those statements. Jeff shares his story in this magazine article.
“People lamented that they had tried Christianity, and it didn’t work. But last time I checked, you don’t try Christianity; either your heart has been transformed by Jesus or it hasn’t. But you can try religion. You can try to follow the rules. You can try to climb up to heaven. But all you’ll do is white knuckle your way to religious despair. It won’t work. It never does.”
Just so you know, there has been some controversy brewing on the interwebs these days about the issue of sanctification. I know what you’re thinking: People become Christians by believing the Gospel, and then spend the rest of their lives becoming sanctified, right? If only it were that simple. You see, there are all kinds of other issues bound up with the discussion of sanctification. Some theologians have been talking about these issues, which roused a response from some other theologians, and before you know it, there is a lively internet debate brewing. Kevin DeYoung offers a helpful summary of where the points of agreement and disagreement are, along with lots of links to help anyone who is interested get acquainted with the issues.
Dr. Timothy Keller offers an incredibly clear and insightful exposition of the biblical theme of the Lamb in the Bible.
This is one of the major narrative plot lines of the Bible is the story of the lamb. It runs all through the Bible, beginning with the story of Abraham being asked to kill Isaac, continuing with the Passover in Egypt, and running through the Passover supper with Jesus and his disciples. In all of these cases a lamb is offered as a sacrifice for a debt. In John 1, John the Baptist tells us to “behold the lamb of God,” meaning to soak in and understand who Jesus is and the debt he paid for us with his death.
Click the button below to access free streaming or download of the sermon. You’ll be glad you did.
Today, though, doctrine is scorned. We imagine cloaked monks, closeted in their dusty cloisters, penning abstract dogmas on “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” The problem with doctrine is that we all have them; few of us admit it; and it’s killing us.
Viewing the Bible as weapon, rules, or story will make all the difference in how you read it and how you understand God and yourself.
I believe that a true “sinner’s prayer” will gush out of anyone who is truly seeking God and is tired of being enslaved to sin. The very act of “leading someone in a prayer” is utterly ridiculous. You will find nothing even remotely like it in the Bible, or among the writings and biographies of those in Church history. It completely savors of crowd and peer pressure tactics, and (please forgive me) brainwashing techniques. I do not believe that Jesus wants to have his disciples “repeat after Me,” I believe He wants them to follow after Him!
The profoundly talented writer, Dorothy Sayers, offers her insights on work and vocation. In a day when many view work as drudgery and a necessary evil, Mrs. Sayers sees it as a way of life in which the nature of man should find its proper exercise and delight and so fulfill itself to the glory of God. That it should, in fact, be thought of as a creative activity undertaken for the love of the work itself; and that man, made in God’s image, should make things, as God makes them, for the sake of doing well a thing that is well worth doing.
This 6 minute video will bring a whole new level of clarity to the terms “heaven” and “earth” in the Bible. (more…)
How manifest was Jesus’ destiny as King of God’s kingdom? Not very. Unlike America’s destiny which was proclaimed or made manifest to the nations as exceptional and second to none, Jesus’ kingdom was not very visible or exceptional by human standards.
Whether you’re a first-time reader of the Bible or a seasoned scholar, this 5 minute video offers insight into the first 11 chapters of Genesis that will make this book accessible and understandable. Share it with all your friends who also want to understand the first book of the Bible. (more…)
A 5 minute video from David Platt offering perspective on the latest fascination with heaven.
Should you trust your heart? This clever comic has the answer. Click below to see it in full…
This 5 minute video explores the implications of believing that people are basically born good versus the implications of believing that people are basically born bad.
If the truth sets us free, then it’s safe to say that a lie holds us back. What we believe about the nature of God is of infinite importance. We are either growing in freedom or we are becoming disenfranchised.