Our son loves having books read aloud to him. Lately, one of his consistent favorites is “Away in the Manger.” Yes, I sing it to him. Yes, he’ll probably be scarred for life. But there is one thing that really bothers me about that song. It always has. It’s the following line: “The cattle are [...]
Archive for the 'Theology' Category
The purest man ever born, Here forsaken and forlorn Tortured and racked with pain Divinity enfleshed and slain Upon a rugged tree We now call Calvary. Why, we ask, why Did He have to die? Is mankind that evil? Is sin that primeval, Are we that fallen and obscene That God Himself must intervene? The incarnation affirms, [...]
reign . . . rule
Posted in Faith, Missional, Scripture, Theology on Dec 25th, 2010
“Behold, a king will reign in righteousness . . .” (Isaiah 32.1a ESV). This prophecy is just one of many pointing toward the day when the promised Messiah would arrive and usher in His kingdom. The coming King would fulfill the covenant that God made to Abraham. And He would be a faithful mediator in [...]
It is not uncommon to hear someone say that they are only presenting the gospel message from the Bible, as if they are merely conveying truth and everyone else who presents it differently has an agenda and is warped in their presentation. But the reality is that how we interpret the good news will directly [...]
I’m thankful for a God whose love has depths and dimensions that defy comprehension, whose mercy and compassion have neither limit nor ration, and exceed the confines of my feeble mind. I’m thankful for a God whose grace exceeds my ability to squander it, who pursues me in my wandering, who never gives up, who [...]
It is impossible to experience the love of Christ, to truly experience it, and then to withhold that love from others. So if I refuse to extend the love of Christ to you, then I am not experiencing it. It is just a theological truth.
Two things have happened recently that got me thinking. Both of them involve people we know who are on opposite ends of the theological spectrum. In both cases, the individuals appear to believe that they’ve defined God from the scriptures. And they are adamantly moving forward on that assumption, to the degree that if you do not agree [...]
Yesterday, I was thinking a bit more about the type of theology that puts repentance in the forefront. And I believe that this type of religion (as opposed to faith) can only breed fear. If I turn from my sin so I don’t go to hell, two things have happened. First, I’ve just done something to earn my salvation. [...]
open secret
Posted in Faith, Religion, Theology, Things I Don't Know on Dec 21st, 2009
I’ve been thinking lately about the gospel, and the proclamation of it. After listening to the sermon series on the beatitudes from Mars Hill Bible Church, and after a conversation with one of my smartest friends (Doug Magee) I am thinking about the concept of the “open secret” of the gospel. Often times, the exclusivity [...]
So last night, the Phillies won when Ryan Howard hit a three run home run in the top of the 10th. This sounds good, and it certainly is good for Ryan’s stats of HR’s and RBI’s. However, where it is not so good is that Ryan Madson blew the save in the bottom of the [...]