August 2010
6 posts
Enter Kingdom - An ESV Bible Search →
Follow the link above and read the passages slowly. This is very sobering.
I am trying to memorize the words of Jesus, and so...
Lord - Rabbi - Master - Teacher
In my study today I came across something of interest. The gospels record many of the same events (especially Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and this gives us insight into how certain words could be substituted or changed without losing their meaning. An example might clarify what I mean:
And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for...
Make Disciples of Rabbi Jesus
What I’ve written about in my last two post (I am not your rabbi, and Ancient Rabbi + New Disciples) adds a lot of clarity to the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20. Please read those two post before proceeding. OK, finished reading them? Now look at the great commission again:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and...
Ancient Rabbi + New Disciples
Note: If you haven’t read my post about why I am not your rabbi then please do so now.
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to find the best way to communicate the truths of Christianity to the masses. This was a good natured goal, but there was a problem. Information, no matter how well presented, is just information if people don’t understand the essence of being a Christian.
...
I am not your rabbi
Matthew 23 has sort of changed the way I do life. Here’s why: In this chapter Jesus tells his apostles to not imitate the Pharisees, and this includes not being called “rabbi” or “instructor” because they have only “one instructor, the Christ” and they are all “brothers” (i.e. equals). This may not seem like fodder for transformation, but...
April 2010
1 post
The Kingdom of God
The “Kingdom of God” is a phrase that Jesus employed to communicate what God was doing in the world. It occurs 84 times in the gospels (if we include the synonymous phrase “kingdom of heaven” which is found in Matthew’s gospel). That means that Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God more than “faith”, “hope”, or “love”. Is your...
March 2010
3 posts
Study every verse on the matter.
Biblical interpretation is sometimes difficult. I hope to one day write about it at length, but until then let me offer one word of caution that could save you countless errors: study every verse on the matter.
If you truly want to know what God thinks about something then you will eventually find it necessary to devour all the verses on that topic. We are so quick to give our opinions about any...
Jesus never had a (fill in the blank).
One day I realized something. Jesus never had a youth minister. He never had a worship guy either. The same goes for Paul, Peter, and everyone else who spread the gospel in the New Testament. They had an understanding of the good news, a desire to spread it, and the ability to do so, but they didn’t have much else.
Why do we think we need so many resources to make disciples? A few days ago...
Make a disciple.
A curious fact about the New Testament is that it never commands us, or anyone else, to plant churches. The great commission is thought to promote new churches, but let’s look at it one more time.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the...
February 2010
12 posts
To judge or not to judge? (Part 2)
A few days ago I wrote a post that highlighted some verses that go beyond the typical “do not judge” slogan. Today I want to even the scales a bit and mention a situation where judgement should still be avoided.
There are some doctrines in the Bible that are non-negotiable (i.e. if someone claims that Jesus didn’t come in the flesh then we shouldn’t invite them into our...
To judge or not to judge? (Part 1)
There’s an oft repeated mantra among church goers that “we shouldn’t judge others.” This is a half truth that needs clarification.
First, this is sometimes used as an excuse to not speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). When we confuse judgement and honesty then we don’t allow other people to help us, or we unnecessarily restrict ourselves from helping others.
...
The wilderness is now.
Modern versions of Christianity are so bent on reassuring everyone that they’re ok (even if they’re not) that people rarely hear the wilderness story applied to themselves. Israel, God’s chosen people, left Egypt and wandered in the desert for 40 years, during which a whole generation died off because of their sin. The NT commonly refers back to this event as an example for...
Jethro's advice.
Recently my family read from Exodus 18, the chapter where Moses received some timely advice from his father-in-law, Jethro. Moses was spending a large portion of every day dealing with the questions, concerns, and disputes of the Israelites, but he was wearing himself out in the process. Jethro suggested that he appoint others to deal with the the lesser cases, and only the difficult problems...
The mind matters.
I’ll be the first to say that intellect isn’t everything (1 Corinthians 13:2). That said, it does matter and the men in the NT were not in short supply of it. Peter and John weren’t trained in an official institution, but they knew what they were talking about because they had walked with Jesus (Acts 4:13). Paul’s wisdom was obvious even to his fellow workers (2 Peter...
People pleasing doesn't work.
As a missionary, albeit a domestic one, I have learned some of the traits that are necessary for training others in Christ. High on that list is the ability to avoid people pleasing.
People pleasing will render you useless. Those who seek to please others rarely have a lasting impact on the very people they were trying to please. When Paul wrote to the Galatians this point was made clear. In...
Eat the Bible.
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food. - Job 23:12
Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. - Jeremiah 15:16
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the...
I heart Jesus.
I received an email this morning asking me to write about Christian dating since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Good call. Dating itself is a very modern idea in the scheme of things, so looking for a verse from Jesus and company with the words dating, boyfriend, girlfriend, shorty, or boo won’t work. However, the scriptures teach us how to think, not just what to think....
Obeying the Old Testament?
I received an email a few days ago from someone who was wondering what I do with the Old Testament. More specifically, I think they were wondering how I can promote reading the Bible and obeying it when I obviously don’t obey all of the Old Testament (it’s been a while since my last animal sacrifice). Answer: When I encourage people to read and obey that includes understanding which...
1 year. 11 people. 1189 chapters.
11 of us from Gulf Church have decided to read the whole Bible in 2010. Why is this important? This morning at church I shared something that is worth repeating here. The less we read the Bible the more apt we are to remember it incorrectly. The longer we go without the word in our diet the more God is made to fit our image instead of us conforming to his.
Support a working missionary.
I don’t have a nine to five. My days are spent teaching, training, encouraging, preaching, and leading, amongst other missionary specific tasks. I am constantly making disciples and building communities of faith on the gulf of Florida, where I serve. However, I need your help; I can’t do this alone. Missionaries require the financial support of people like you, people who believe in...
