All tagged Jesus
Significant for the shape of our nation is care for the poor. What did Jesus model and teach that we can implement in our strategies today? What has America, and Christians inside America, done for the poor over some 230 years? What do Marxists want for the poor? How we frame the issue is foundational for how we will go about trying to address the issue. Let's move past shouting and think together.
Words are powerful. We shape both reality and ourselves with words. So it's interesting to me that Marxist shibboleths (insider religious code words) are more like word-clouds and less like specifically defined terms. Why is that? In this episode I work through several shibboleths and expose them. We need to understand some of what is going on in society. Oh, and I also describe what it is like to be the owner of a new puppy!
We can learn through different mediums. Herein we examine two preeminent paintings from history: Luca Signorelli's "Anti-Christ" and Andrei Rublev's "Trinity." What insights do these two geniuses show us about human nature, about reality, about our mysterious God? Furthermore, what do these two painters, each of whom lived over 500 years ago, tell us about our current national crisis?
What caused the doctrine of the Trinity to arise in ancient history? A quest for religious marketplace advantage? Was it all just mere philosophic speculation? If the Bible doesn't come right out and say "Worship God as three who is one" then why do we? In this episode I unpack the God-at-work-in-history reasons why Christianity is resoundingly trinitarian. Come and think and laugh and sing with me!
In John 15 Jesus commands us to abide in him. What does that mean? Talking with Josh Houston, author of The Abiding Life, we work through what it means to be a disciple and abide in Christ. What crisis led to Josh writing his book? How does American culture press down upon Christian discipleship? Why do I wish I had a spiritual mentor? And what does that even mean? How do the three centers of human wiring—Control, Security, and Esteem—play into our walk with Christ? This is good and intimate reflection!
I'm caught in an existential sandwich between numbness and irritation. What has led to this state of being? What truly frightens me about our response to COVID? I've coined a new word—slotch—to capture governmental over-reach, administrative gobbledy-gook, and managerial nonsense. And because we have all endured it, I even sing a song about slotch. Still more, what does both Animal Farm and the Bible teach us about human nature? Come laugh and think with me.
A now-common take: Paul corrupted the simple and loving message of Jesus. Jesus was about care of neighbor while Paul infected that ethic with religion. So Paul is the one who established traditional, and now passé, Christianity. But was Paul really different from Jesus? How was Paul true to Jesus? The answers could build or wreck Christian faith. And my invisible conversation partner suggusts we publish a pink lettered bible: Jesus’ words about inclusion, diversity, tolerance and not hurting other people’s feelings all in pink.
Is the peace of Christ merely a religious selling point, something to help people choose Christianity? I tell two of my friends' stories to develop the reality that peace can be in the Christian life. But across the Bible peace is even greater than an inward experience. What is that? Also, what is the most overlooked gift in the universe?
In the West there are two churches and they are growing apart. Significantly, this has to do with their understanding of work. One side embraces Gospel work, the other side embraces Kingdom work. What characterizes these two kinds of work? What are their goals? How might we address the growing bifurcation of these two emphases?
Western society is infatuated with the new: trends, fads, products, things. We love the new! Unfortunately, this infatuation is infecting the Church. And if the Gallup Polling agency is accurate, new is not helping church growth. What are some answers? How might we mitigate the damage that the new can do? What steps can we take to help our pastors, our pastoral staffs, and our own selves? What did Jesus model for us that is helpful on this challenge?
What are the biblical perspective and the Jesus perspective on wealth and riches? Is it sinful to be rich? How was wealth gained in the first century? How did the ancient Jewish world seek to span the wealth gap between the rich and poor? What was the central issue for Jesus concerning wealth? What's all that mean for today?
Did Jesus avoid causing division? Was Jesus opposed to all power? Did he appear to end all use of power? Did Jesus come to affirm us just as we are? And, did Jesus come to eliminate all authority or restructure it? To find answers I walk us through several Gospel stories. There is a big difference between Authoritah and Authority!
What does it mean to be a peacemaker? Is it about political balance? Is it about silent love? Dr. Charlie Self is a peace-making thinker, teacher, pastor, and social media post-er. In this interview I ask him where he gets his courage to be a peacemaker in a volatile society like ours.
What's the difference between a cult and a sect? Why do Mormons have more faith than I do? What about their faith is spurious, from a historical perspective? What is Platonic about their eschatology? What does Mormon faith do to the preeminence of Christ? And, why am I personally conflicted about the Church of Latter Day Saints?
What does the Bible suggest to us about those who never hear the Gospel? What points of logic should be brought to bear on such a question? Does a horrible death equate to eternal life? Does pure faith equate to salvation? Is the issue how sincere one's faith is? In this issue I also reflect on the recent SCOTUS, Justice Kavanaugh, hearings. Still more, I tell the story about when I made my only hole-in-one.
Will you still be you in the resurrection? Or will you be completely different? Does the resurrection happen at the moment of death? What do the incarnation and resurrection say about how God's values our bodies? Is God trying to save us from creation or save us with creation? And I have a "super deep" A.D.D. reflection in this episode that you won't want to miss!
Western society is in love with love. Yet how do we, should we, define love? If love is the bottom line for life-together, just what is love? Christians will want to know how the Bible defines love. 1 John 4:8 says, "God is love." What does that mean? What does that mean inside its own context? Come and think with me!
Christians seem leery of talking about homosexuality. And so they usually just get swept up by the larger cultural trends. Yet, Jesus called us to an often difficult way of life, one characterized by grace and truth. How do we live that out? How should Christians show love on sensitive matters? For instance, should one go to a homosexual wedding? What is the core issue for one's identity: sexuality or Christ? Or, can one be a Christian and a homosexual? Are people born gay? Is it possible that one's homosexual temptations are one's cross to bear? Is it wrong to have feelings for someone of the same sex? I ask and answer several uncomfortable questions in this episode.
Why do I believe? Well, by this world's standards Jesus' method was utterly crazy! His approach is shocking. So he is not your ordinary hero, even though you might not notice that upon first glance. I also have a movie review: 3 Billboards outside of Ebbing, Missouri.
Just thinking about reason submitting to faith sounds ominous! Does that mean we turn our brain off? Does that mean we only think "Christian" thoughts? Spiritual thoughts? I also discuss chronological snobbery, a weird experience I had a coffee shop, and a shopping trip to Home Depot. Come and think with me!
