December 2011

Answering the Prayer of Jesus

“I’ll be praying for you!”

We use this phrase often, and that is not a bad thing.  We are called to pray for each other, to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2).  This is quite a calling and responsibility. 

It is an invitation to make God the center of all our relationships, since only He can help us fulfill this incredible call.  Only God can turn these prayers into answers.

Working With Whatever You Have

Sometimes we all feel overwhelmed.  Rich and poor, highly educated and barely educated, small organizations and large organizations; all feel overburdened and overworked at times.  This is especially true when we try to measure our worth or success by unreasonable and unbiblical standards.  There are always those ready to tell us where we don’t measure up and that what we have is too little to make any difference at all. 

More than Paying Off Christmas

In those places where Christmas is celebrated on December 25, many of us spend the first days of the new year calculating the cost of Christmas. In those global areas where gifting others, including one's immediate family, is practiced, our generosity often exceeds our immediate resources. It is obvious that commentary could be referenced in relationship to this. But that must wait another day.

Why God Became Man

The miracle and glory of Christmas was the wondrous condescension of God in becoming man. “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16).

This truth, accepted by reason, is the key that unlocks the gospel. Jesus was not a man who became God; He was God revealed in human personality. “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things” (Colossians 1:19-20, NIV).

“Cur Deus homo?” was the great question that challenged the Church for centuries. “Why did God become man?”

Why God Became Man

The miracle and glory of Christmas was the wondrous condescension of God in becoming man. “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16).

This truth, accepted by reason, is the key that unlocks the gospel. Jesus was not a man who became God; He was God revealed in human personality. “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things” (Colossians 1:19-20, NIV).

“Cur Deus homo?” was the great question that challenged the Church for centuries. “Why did God become man?”

How Free are We?

Christian theology is always seeking to balance the transcendence of God – God’s “otherness” – with the imminence of God – God’s “nearness.” 

A class example of this striving for balance can be found in a key debate between followers of reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) and those who came to follow the teachings of Jacob Arminius (1560-1609). 

Winsome and Rugged Holiness

What does holiness today look like? Oh, I am not talking about Holiness Today, this magazine, as much as I like it. I am asking an altogether different question. What does it mean to be a holy person in the media-saturated, politically-divided, and economically-savaged social context in which much of our world is immersed today?

Winsome and Rugged Holiness

What does holiness today look like? Oh, I am not talking about Holiness Today, this magazine, as much as I like it. I am asking an altogether different question. What does it mean to be a holy person in the media-saturated, politically-divided, and economically-savaged social context in which much of our world is immersed today?

A Simple Invitation

Jeff and Karen did not fit the stereotypical "used car salesmen" image. I met them after buying a used car from the dealership they had recently acquired. The salesperson wanted to be sure to introduce me to them before I left in my "new" used car. I was favorably impressed.
 
These new business owners were friendly, outgoing, and seemed genuinely appreciative that I would do business with them. Their dealership was just a block from the church where I served as pastor.

Q&A: Agreeing to Disagree

Q: Some people in my church are uptight about nearly everything. If someone doesn't agree with them, they start judging his or her spirituality. I don't think we're called to agree on everything all of the time. How can I deal with this?