Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2015

The Holiness Transmitter

Jesus is awesome. The word awesome gets thrown around for a lot of different things. But it genuinely applies to Jesus. The more we get to know Him, the more awe He inspires. I know that is not really popular for many Christians to study the Old Testament. Especially the book of Leviticus. Yet, the books of Moses are extremely helpful in understanding the awe-inspiring nature of Jesus. Jesus taught that Moses wrote about Him: " You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? Do not think that I will ac

Self-Centered Theology

I have a problem. Maybe you do, too. I bet you can at least relate. I'm self-centered. By nature, I think from my perspective. Often, more often than I'd usually like to admit, I pursue my agenda. I like to do, what I like to do, when I like to do it, where I like to do it, how I like to do it, and with whomever I like to do it. I think you do, too. Sometimes we are good at hiding this self-centeredness. I believe that it is possible to have genuinely altruistic moments. Moments where we put others self-interest above our own well-being. Sometimes powerful emotions like love, hate, and disgust, can cause us to act contrary to our self-centered notions. Sometimes. As Christians, we are given the gift of God's grace through His Son, Jesus Christ. We receive this gift when we repent of our self-centered ways and trust in Christ alone. In the noise that is "Christianity" - if you take the time to really listen - you will often hear a false

The Armor of God Revisited

I encountered something that is a common experience for me while out sharing the gospel today: professing Christians who believe they are headed to heaven as a result of their church attendance, good works, and moral behavior. In one conversation today, I asked a question I ask to many who tell me they are headed to heaven because of their religious works: "You've told me a lot about what you are doing to get to heaven. Can you tell me a little about who Jesus is and what He did for Christians?" The most common response is exactly what you'd expect: "Jesus died for our sins." This answer rolls off the lips of many church-goers. It is astounding how many leave Jesus out of their path to heaven until explicitly asked. Their discussion of how they live their lives betrays the reality that they are trusting in themselves (at least a little bit) and not in Christ alone. Often when I ask the follow-up question: "What does a guy who lived and died 20

Gate Crashers: The Offensive Church

Gate Crashers: The Offensive Church is now available from Wipf and Stock publishers! Get your copy at http://wipfandstock.com/gate-crashers.html or from Amazon .

Resolutions That Last

Q: Why is it so hard to maintain resolutions that people make for the New Year? I want to walk with Jesus but it's so hard sometimes! Am I doing something wrong? A: The first full week of 2015 has come and gone. In just a short week, many people have already become frustrated. They have failed to keep their New Year's resolution(s). If you made some resolutions, how are you doing with them? Change is hard. Many explanations for this reality are offered. The Bible is clear and straight-forward: Jesus taught that human beings are slaves to sin (John 8:34). This bleak truth works itself out in different ways. For our sinful ways that we enjoy, it doesn't bother us as much. We are slaves to various lusts and impulses in our flesh which we enjoy gratifying. When we enjoy gratifying them, we are usually good at justifying our behaviors. This is a major reason why the spiritual discipline of fasting is not very popular. When we justify our appetites, and enjoy fulfilling