Who is Jesus...to you?
This question may not stir up all kinds of excitement in your life, but your answer to it is of supreme importance. What you and I believe about Jesus Christ is essential not only for securing our eternal future, but also for understanding and enjoying our life right now. I ran across an excellent reminder of this in a piece that I shared in the kick-off of our new series of study in I John. It was written by Pastor Kevin DeYoung and it challenges our American distortions of Jesus. 2000 years later, we still struggle to maintain a purity in our belief about Christ and to keep Him at the center of our belief and focus. Kevin's analysis is spot on and challenges us all to think through how we may have allowed the culture around us to negatively influence our view of Christ which is at best slanderous and at worst, heresy.
Enjoy Kevin's piece as you seek to keep Christ rightly represented in your thinking and centered in your heart!
Jeff
Who is Jesus?
The greatness of God is most clearly displayed in his Son. And the glory of the gospel is only made evident in his Son. That’s why Jesus’ question to his disciples is so important: “Who do you say that I am?”
The question is doubly crucial in our day because not every Jesus is the real Jesus. Almost no one is as popular in this country as Jesus. Hardly anyone would dare to say a bad word about him. Just look at what a super-fly friendly dude he is over there. But how many people know the real Jesus?
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Christianity loves the light
Christianity loves the light…because we have nothing to hide!
The other day my nephew, a graduate of Whitworth sent me an email with a question. He’s always engaging people around him who both know Christ and others who don’t, but I find it interesting how there seems to be a growing chorus of skepticism from those who are supposedly inside the faith. Here is what my nephew’s note said: "I was thinking about something this week…I’ve had talks with friends (liberal Christians) who have been taught some of the books of the Bible like Jonah and others were fictional stories not real stories. How do you contend with this? Can this be disproven?" Good question and one that is often asked. Here is what I proposed for a reasonable response as I Peter 3:15 instructs us to be ready to do.
The other day my nephew, a graduate of Whitworth sent me an email with a question. He’s always engaging people around him who both know Christ and others who don’t, but I find it interesting how there seems to be a growing chorus of skepticism from those who are supposedly inside the faith. Here is what my nephew’s note said: "I was thinking about something this week…I’ve had talks with friends (liberal Christians) who have been taught some of the books of the Bible like Jonah and others were fictional stories not real stories. How do you contend with this? Can this be disproven?" Good question and one that is often asked. Here is what I proposed for a reasonable response as I Peter 3:15 instructs us to be ready to do.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Fellowship of the Unshamed
UNASHAMED
By Dr. Bob Moorehead
I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made...I am a disciple of Jesus, I won’t look back, go back, hold back, let up, slow down, back away, hesitate or be still! My past is redeemed, my present remade and my future re-aimed. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, dwarfed goals, deficient faith and cheap grace.
By Dr. Bob Moorehead
I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made...I am a disciple of Jesus, I won’t look back, go back, hold back, let up, slow down, back away, hesitate or be still! My past is redeemed, my present remade and my future re-aimed. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, dwarfed goals, deficient faith and cheap grace.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Does the Church Really Oppress Women?
Jimmy Carter: Does the church really oppress women?
I was a little stunned when I read the following words by Jimmy Carter in an op-ed piece he wrote on July 15th: “My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.” He went on to say, “At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.” (see the full article here)
Now, my concern is not what other religions believe and teach, but how Christianity is falsely portrayed. The teaching of Christianity is crystal clear about the God-determined and designed roles of men in marriage and the church.
I was a little stunned when I read the following words by Jimmy Carter in an op-ed piece he wrote on July 15th: “My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.” He went on to say, “At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.” (see the full article here)
Now, my concern is not what other religions believe and teach, but how Christianity is falsely portrayed. The teaching of Christianity is crystal clear about the God-determined and designed roles of men in marriage and the church.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Tax Payer Funded Abortion
Update on the tax-payer funded abortion issue in the Healthcare debate: A website has been set up to keep up to date information on the facts and myths of the proposed funding of abortion services in the healthcare reform discussion. This is a great way to stay informed and ready to respond.
Jimmy Carter on Women's Roles
The Gospel of Oppression? Jimmy Carter on Religion
ChristsChurch 9/1/2009 9:35:43 AM
Sorry, President Carter…This Argument Falls Flat
ChristsChurch 9/1/2009 9:35:43 AM
Sorry, President Carter…This Argument Falls Flat
Update on Tax Payer funded abortion issue
Update on the tax-payer funded abortion issue in the Healthcare debate.
Update on the tax-payer funded abortion issue in the Healthcare debate: A website has been set up to keep up to date information on the facts and myths of the proposed funding of abortion services in the healthcare reform discussion. This is a great way to stay informed and ready to respond.
Update on the tax-payer funded abortion issue in the Healthcare debate: A website has been set up to keep up to date information on the facts and myths of the proposed funding of abortion services in the healthcare reform discussion. This is a great way to stay informed and ready to respond.
Health Care Reform, is it ok to Force Abortion
ChristsChurch 7/24/2009 9:40:42 PM
Healthcare Reform: Is it right to force taxpayers to fund abortions?
As the details of the current controvesial “health care reform” bill continues to unfold, we are learning that it contains the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade (read the story here and here. ) Apparently, taxpayers will be forced without exceptions to fund abortions. This is quite a stunner and not going to sit very well with most Americans (so far, polls are showing that half of all Americans disapprove of President Obama’s handling of this reform). It’s one thing to make abortion legal and accessible (as it is today) and quite another thing to mandate its support.
Healthcare Reform: Is it right to force taxpayers to fund abortions?
As the details of the current controvesial “health care reform” bill continues to unfold, we are learning that it contains the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade (read the story here and here. ) Apparently, taxpayers will be forced without exceptions to fund abortions. This is quite a stunner and not going to sit very well with most Americans (so far, polls are showing that half of all Americans disapprove of President Obama’s handling of this reform). It’s one thing to make abortion legal and accessible (as it is today) and quite another thing to mandate its support.
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