Jesus’ encounter with the demonic forces on the Lake Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee) occurs as he is trying to get to the region of Gedara. The name of the city itself means “border country” and it is essentially the eastern edge of Jewish influence. Beyond Gedara was the Decapolis, an entirely new municipality founded by… Read More »
It is always insightful to look back and contemplate how we change over time. Back in 2008 I wrote a post about the regionalization of the local church At the time, we were a congregation of about 50. We were in the midst of planning a renovation, and we were financially strapped. There were all… Read More »
Last night, I watched LeBron James (supposedly the greatest individual player in the NBA) have an average game and lose. The Miami Heat consists of two tremendously talented players (James and Dwyane Wade) and a cast of basically nameless supporting players. In order for them to win, James and Wade must play extraordinary basketball. Against… Read More »
One of the key reasons I don’t do conferences is that inevitably someone wants you to do some kind of “learning exercise.” I am a high-brain, verbal learner which means that I learn best by taking in information and teaching others, and most “learning exercises” do nothing for me. At the Biblical Imagination Conference we… Read More »
Apparently, Fred Phelps (the pastor of that bastion of hope and encouragement, Westboro Baptist Church) has some tremendous insight into the Scriptures. In the video below, Phelps pinpoints the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to the year 1898 BC. This is tremendous news to me since until now I have wondered endlessly how to date the… Read More »
I am headed to Syracuse, New York, for the weekend for the Biblical Imagination Conference with the man, the legend, the awesomely bearded Michael Card. While I could never aspire to have a beard like his, Michael has long been one of my musical heroes. He combines teaching and art in a way that you… Read More »
A video of a North Carolina pastor was making the rounds of the internet recently. Pastor Charles L. Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church begins a diatribe on placing “lesbins, q-u-weers, and hom-o-sessuals” (that’s how he pronounces the words) in what amounts to concentration camps so they will die out. The video has over a… Read More »
Recently, I spoke on Luke 8:4-18 – what is known as “The Parable of the Sower.” The passage deals with the complex issue of why some people are “saved” and others are not, and as I expected there were a lot of questions about the nature of salvation. Particularly, someone asked about the meaning of… Read More »
This week, I heard news of yet another local congregation in our region that has been going through difficult times – “falling apart” as it was put to me. Every time I hear about something like this, it grieves my heart. I wonder, often out loud, how this could happen and what Jesus must think.… Read More »
Worship cannot be generated through mood lighting or great musicians because the source of worship must be the understanding (in part, 1 Corinthians 13:12) of God’s glory in Jesus Christ. Worship is not of this world; it is an attribute of resurrection. Only those raised in Christ can truly worship.
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