Peace
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Jesus on Soft Hearts in the Kingdom
“A sower went out to sow and as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up.” So begins one of Jesus’ most famous parables. He says it pictures a person who does not understand “the word of the kingdom.” This lack of understanding leads to the evil… Continue reading
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Is “Accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour” the First Step in Our Journey to God?
“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” Mark 1:14-15 My evangelical training taught me the gospel basically consists in believing that Jesus’ death and resurrection saves us. However, the… Continue reading
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God is a Baby (and not just in the manger!)
At Christmas we remember that God came in the person of the baby Jesus. However, the “baby stage” is only thought of as a necessary step to Jesus’ adulthood where the action really happens. I’m suggesting that the baby stage itself reveals the nature of God. God, in fact, is a baby. That, of course,… Continue reading
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Like Helen Keller—“A Misty Consciousness Returning!”
In her autobiography, Helen Keller explains a mystery that has puzzled me since childhood—how could a blind and deaf person come to understand language? She says that after experiencing only frustration and anger as Ann Sullivan tried to teach her the meaning of words, the “aha moment” came while they strolled together in the yard.… Continue reading
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How Seeing the Kingdom Assures Us We’re Born of the Spirit
It’s a curious fact that even those who claim to follow Jesus have almost no concept of the number one thing he taught–the kingdom of God. Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming God’s kingdom had now arrived. The subject of the kingdom dominated his teaching for three and a half years. When he rose from… Continue reading
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A Ridiculous Revelation of God
Can you imagine anything more ridiculous than the almighty God having a lamb-like nature? And yet that’s exactly what we must conclude if, in fact, Jesus reveals the nature of God. He not only died as the lamb of God, he lived as the lamb of God to show us what God is like. This… Continue reading
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Can the Preaching of the Evangelical Gospel Stunt Spiritual Growth?
Being a Christian was not all I thought it would be. Something was missing. I can illustrate what I lacked by something that struck me while watching the TV series, The Chosen. In this episode, Jesus sent out his disciples on a mission to preach the gospel to the “lost sheep of Israel” (Mat. 10:5-15;… Continue reading
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Christmas Guidance Part 3: “I’d Prefer Not To”
“to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:79 In a short book Herman Melville tells the story of, Bartleby, a mild, unassuming office clerk. Whenever he’s given a task to do, Bartleby replies, “I would prefer not… Continue reading
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Christmas Guidance Part 2: Guided people experience peace; Controlling people don’t
“to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:79 In our last post we saw that most of the characters in the Christmas story are guided by angels. One individual is a glaring exception. His determination to control… Continue reading
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Christmas Guidance Part 1: “A Pacifist Who Yells at Her Husband”
“to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:79 One of the many things I love about Christmas is that we get to think about angels. In the Christian world, at least, it seems angels are out of court… Continue reading