All kingdom work is worship. Or to put it another way, worshipping the God we see at work in Jesus is the most politically charged act we can ever perform. Christian worship declares Jesus is Lord and that therefore, by strong implication, nobody else is. What's more, it doesn't just declare it as something to be … Continue reading The Centrality of Worship
Tom Wright for Everyone
Tom Wright (also known as N.T. Wright) has achieved global recognition as a biblical theologian through his academic and popular publications. He is a leading New testament scholar and former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. His most academic work is his Christian Origins and the Questions of God series, of which three … Continue reading Tom Wright for Everyone
A Macho Jesus?
What would Jesus look like if he were living on earth today? One artist, Stephen Sawyer, thinks he'd be more macho than wimp. Click here to read all about it. No doubt our image of Jesus is important. It's so easy to create a God who is what we want him to be and something … Continue reading A Macho Jesus?
Love (Pt.2) – Beloved
The foundation of our love for others is a revelation of God’s love for us. The most important question in your life is not how much you love others or even how much you love God. It is how much do you think God loves you. Everything flows from this. Once we grasp and fully … Continue reading Love (Pt.2) – Beloved
Oh Love of God
I believe that this lyric contains the most profound statement about the love of God outside the Scriptures: Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of God above, Would drain … Continue reading Oh Love of God
Thinking about the Trinity …
Here are a few insightful quotes about the Trinity: “In Christianity, God is not a static thing … but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama. Almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance.” [C.S. Lewis] "The Trinity is a communion of three persons, three centers of consciousness, … Continue reading Thinking about the Trinity …
How will it all END (Pt.6)?
How should we then LIVE? We should live “ready” for Christ to come at any moment (Lk.21:34-36) but “working diligently” as if he may not come back in our lifetime. We should avoid extremes (over-preoccupation with a sneaky rapture vs. trying to create heaven here on earth). To quote Tony Campolo, “Any theology that does … Continue reading How will it all END (Pt.6)?
How will it all END (Pt.5)?
Things to Occur AFTER the Second Coming 1. Judgement and reward for believers. There are two judgements – one for believers, the judgement seat of Christ, which is not about salvation but about reward for the “good works” we have done (2 Cor.5:10). [One area of debate amongst end time theologians is when the ‘millennium’ … Continue reading How will it all END (Pt.5)?
How will it all END (Pt.4)?
Things to occur AT the second coming 1. The appearance of Jesus in glory. Jesus’ return will be with “a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God” (1 Thess.4:13-18). He will return in great glory, the glory of his Father (Mt.16:27; 19:28; 25:31). The angelic hosts will … Continue reading How will it all END (Pt.4)?
How will it all END (Pt.3)?
An Order of End Time Events Without being dogmatic in any way, here is what I see happening BEFORE the second coming of Jesus. NEGATIVE things to occur: 1. Increasing spiritual darkness (Is.60:1-3). Jesus told us that the last days just prior to his coming will be similar to the days of Noah and the … Continue reading How will it all END (Pt.3)?
How will it all END (Pt.2)?
The Bible and the End Times There are a number of books and passages in the Bible that deal specifically with the ‘time of the end’ and the second coming of Jesus. Obviously, the book of Revelation would be the primary source of information concerning the end times. It is a fascinating apocalyptic book with … Continue reading How will it all END (Pt.2)?
How will it all END? (Pt.1)
Today is supposed to be the end of the world (read here) ... but I don't think so. Times like this are a good time to re-post a series of articles on how it will all end ... End Time Fever The first words that Jesus preached were, “Repent for the kingdom of God is … Continue reading How will it all END? (Pt.1)
C.S. Lewis – Objection #11: Christ
Finally, C.S. Lewis had to come to grips with answering the common question: "Isn't Jesus just another good, moral teacher?" Since there is little likelihood that Jesus' claim to deity is legend or myth, we should expect to find something in his words and actions that suggest he thought of himself as divine. Jesus' self-perception … Continue reading C.S. Lewis – Objection #11: Christ
C.S. Lewis – Objection #10: Other Religions
C.S. Lewis also grappled with the validity of other religions - There are so many religions, how can you say which one is right? Are all religions really the same, or is there a difference? How can we say which one, if any, is the right one? Lewis felt it was atheism that wrote off all … Continue reading C.S. Lewis – Objection #10: Other Religions
C.S. Lewis – Objection #9: Relativism
Another objection to faith that C.S. Lewis struggled with was the question: Aren't morals relative? More than two-thirds of Americans deny any belief in absolutes and the statistics would be very similar in other countries. An an atheist, Lewis denied that there were any moral absolutes. When he became a Christian, he insisted that Christian … Continue reading C.S. Lewis – Objection #9: Relativism