Preparing People to Respond to God
As I write this, I have just turned 45 years old and have served for over 22 years as a pastor in two congregations. Half of my existence on this earth has been spent pastoring. I have been changed and transformed by this experience.
Read MoreLet's look at two paintings.
The first painting is called "The Apotheosis of Washington" and is featured on the ceiling of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. It features George Washington surrounded by Greco-Roman gods like Neptune, Vulcan, and Mercury. Washington is seated on a throne, among the clouds, flanked by angels, with a rainbow under his feet. He is sitting where God should be sitting.
The word "Apotheosis" refers to the idea that the man George Washington became a god. By Biblical standards, this painting of a man becoming a god is idolatrous and heretical. It's no different from the Pharaohs of Egypt or the Caesars of Rome, who were believed to be men who had become gods.
The second painting is "The Crucifixion of Christ" by Jacopo Tintoretto. In this painting of God becoming a man, Jesus is flanked by criminals and those who would mock Him. Under his feet are the Roman soldiers responsible for making sure that He is dead, as well as His mother Mary, who stands by helplessly.
These two paintings provide a contrast between man-made religion which seeks to deify and glorify human power and Biblical Christianity, in which God humbled Himself, becoming a human being, in order to live as we live and die on our behalf. One is a picture of human ambition and power, the other is a picture of the humility of God, voluntarily embracing limitations, weakness, and suffering. One painting is a heresy, and the other is orthodox, historical Christianity.
"Come out of her, my people..." means stop looking for a loving covenant in a corrupt system that only takes from us, but doesn't love us.
Read MoreImagine being stuck on a lifeboat with just enough space and supplies for five people to survive for a week. The only problem is that there are six of you.
Read MoreAmos prophesied several things:
An earthquake that took place around 760 BC
An invasion that took place around 733 BC
The revival of the Tabernacle of David, which was fulfilled in the church in Acts 15.
We need to define complementarianism for the Alliance further - and here's why: if we don't define complementarianism, we can't identify the abuses. We need to provide clear guidance on what complementarianism is and is not.
Read MoreThere is a theme in the Bible that darkness comes before light. Death comes before resurrection. Humility comes before glory. This theme is in the Bible because this theme is in God. This is how God likes things to be and we should expect that He will also be pleased to operate in the same manner in our own lives.
Read MoreDo you ever feel like people are watching you when you preach? Does the insidious temptation to perform, compete, or put on a good show ever appear in your preparation process? Do you ever find yourself comparing yourself to other people who preach? If so, you're normal. But you might also want to confront those issues in your soul, especially if you see preaching as a long-term part of your ministry.
Read MoreYou have a calling. Focus on fulfilling your calling, not fulfilling yourself.
Read MoreJesus used illustrations and stories because they made the truth memorable. I love systematic, didactic teaching. But to memorize or internalize I need to use some sort of trick to make it stick (an acrostic, a mnemonic device, alliteration, etc.) Stories and illustrations help the truth stick. I’m telling you the truth - if your entire sermon is just a string of facts, people will understand it, but they won’t remember it.
Read MoreThe problem with making an image of Jesus is that it's going to be limited and imperfect, and those limitations and imperfections are going to be projected onto the minds and thoughts of those observing the image.
Read MoreWe transform the world by serving in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.
Read MoreShared leadership will require shared responsibility.
Read MoreI think the reason that most people think of the Holy Spirit as a FORCE, a FEELING, or a SYMBOL is because we don't understand that the Holy Spirit is a DIVINE PERSON. In the absence of a correct view of the Holy Spirit, we've adopted several wrong views.
Read MoreWhen we experience Jesus as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King we are not experiencing four different Jesus’. Nor are we dividing Jesus. We are discovering aspects, dynamics and ministries of the one, true Jesus.
Read MoreYes, Jesus drew crowds, but he didn't TRY to draw crowds. When the crowds did come, it was because He taught with authority, cast out demons (Mk 1:27), healed the sick, and did miracles, not because He purposely tried to gather more people.
Read MoreHow should we respond when we think revival might be taking place? Should we wait and see, or water the seed? Can we water while we wait?
Read MoreThe year 2022 made a big impact on me. Aside from a few long-term projects, it would have been impossible for me to anticipate all that the year had in store.
Read MoreIt seems that justice can take you where even fasting alone cannot.
Read MoreWhen we think about what apostolic ministry looks like, don't limit it to Paul. Apostle Peter did it differently than Paul. So did 20+ other Apostles. Consider the entire Biblical record. Then, whatever we do, DO NOT ADOPT A DEFINITION THAT EXCLUDES APOSTLE JESUS!
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