Forgiveness in marriage by Elizabeth Johnson
Forgiveness in marriage. Where do I begin? The bible school answer is to say, “I should forgive my spouse because Christ has already forgiven him.”
That is easier said than done.
Continue reading Forgiveness in Marriage
What does the Gospel have to do with the Good Samaritan? Is this classic parable simply provided for our morality or is there more to the story? In this final post we will delve into the Gospel according to the good Samaritan.
Continue reading The Gospel According To The Good Samaritan
The Gospel Of Consumerism
Warning: Consumerism is everywhere and growing. There is no getting away from it which is potentially harmful. Consumerism is like an invisible, powerful entity of its own, but it quietly infiltrates every aspect of our lives. Just look around. Sadly, as consumers, we have become desensitized to the effects of consumerism and its’ ploy of promoting our interests. We want more and more, yet we have so much.
The cross, for the most part, seems to be accepted in our society. People seem to be comfortable with that old rugged cross. No offense is taken by it as it hangs around one’s neck in wood, silver or gold. Furthermore, culture accepts and even appreciates the rows upon rows of white crosses at Arlington. And so, the cross is accepted…. or is it?
“While the Gospel is something worth contending for, there are right ways and wrong ways to go about this business.” D.A. Carson
I like a good mystery! Not the predictable sort; I like the ones that challenge the mind and stretch the imagination. The kind you almost feel like you have to work for to understand.
There is a mystery found in God’s Word. It is the ultimate mystery – A mystery of mysteries. No earthly mystery compares to the mystery of the gospel! Sadly, we do not dwell on the contents or the characters of the mystery enough. But when people do, I find the response is either worship or rebellion. Some behold the mystery and worship, while others grow angry and defiant.
In considering both responses, let’s first unpack the mystery.
“As a pastor, I constantly pray and engage the people of the Village Church to keep what is “of first importance” at the center of their thinking, in both their justification and their sanctification. Over the years, I have become painfully aware that people tend to drift away from the gospel soon after their conversion and begin to try their hand at sanctification. In other words, they operate as if the gospel saves them but doesn’t play a role in sanctifying them. In the end, people become exhausted and miss out on the joy of knowing and walking with the Spirit of God. They miss out on intimacy with Jesus.”
Matt Chandler
I “know” the gospel. I know it factually. And while that may be good (we need to know the gospel) I realize I often do not live in the good of the gospel. I regularly do not “own” it. Whenever, I find myself seeking to self-atone (seeking to earn God’s favor and salvation), I have lost my way from the truths of the gospel. Don’t misunderstand. I believe in “effort”! Paul said to the Ephesians that we were saved “for good works.”
It is that time again where we, here in America, are inundated with reasons to stay away from the mailbox, tv, and voicemail. Tis the season for empty promises, shallow arguments, and overused talking points. Do you remember the last time you took the time to read that shiny flyer in your mailbox? Neither do I, for it seems that the 30 seconds the flyer requires is far too big an investment of time. And so, we drown in political junk mail, campaign commercials, and voicemails to “remember to vote”.
Continue reading Gospel, Politics, And My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less
The “Almost Church” – Almost loves the gospel. The “Almost Church” sings songs about the gospel, reads the Bible, loves Jesus, and genuinely desires to see the gospel advance. But, at the “Almost Church”, the gospel becomes a “help” to the “Almost Christians” who are seeking to build the church. Friends, the gospel is not an additional “help” to building the church, it is the ONLY “hope” of building the church.
I grew up…”Christian”. I have a Christian name, grew up in a Christian home, and learned my abc’s shortly after memorizing the 66 books of the bible. Just kidding… I actually learned my abc’s first; the books of the bible came shortly thereafter.
Ok, so I will jump on the bandwagon of being critical of the Christians, who have jumped on the bandwagon of being critical of secular society (in this case Starbucks), which creates reasons for secular society to jump on the bandwagon of being critical and dismissive of Christians in general.
How is that for a run on sentence?!?
Confused yet? Well, hang in there…
The other day, while I was reading, I ran into this outstanding quote.
“FUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLLE!!”
I yelled at the TV screen that hung on the wall. I yelled again as if it would help my team to somehow realize that the pig skin was on the ground and now having heard my yelp, certainly they would be more inclined to jump on the ball.
Finally, a post dedicated to pastor R.
Pastor R. lives in the slums of India. When he, his wife, and daughter first moved into the slums, they were greeted with harassment. The people didn’t want them there so they dumped their trash outside their front door and cut the locks on their home.