How did you do on the test?
It has been a week since the opening of the Paris Olympics, and the famous or infamous (depending on your perspective) opening ceremony. I have intentionally held back any comment, instead wanting to watch and listen and learn, both from the pagan world and those who say they are disciples of Jesus. As I watched, something occurred to me. If you are a disciple of Christ, you have just taken a test. I wonder, how did you do? The New Testament uses two words for…
Read MoreWhat do you call people who are wrong?
I have been writing in my last few blogs about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in contemporary America’s political environment. I do not want to get stuck in this discussion—being disciples of Jesus certainly involves much more than our response to political issues. However, I believe it is important to have one more discussion regarding how disciples of Jesus are to live in the midst of political turmoil. For this discussion, I assume the reader is Christian, and holds his or…
Read MoreA Personal Solution To Division
It is Monday and I purposely delayed writing this blog for two days. Two days ago, there was a shooting. That shouldn’t surprise anyone living in the US. There is a shooting pretty much every hour of the day. But this one is considered different because the target is a person running for President–Donald Trump. I waited two days to see what people would say about this, and whether people would take advantage of the obvious opportunity it presents. For the most part, we haven’t.…
Read MoreDiscipleship and Democracy
Once again we find ourselves in a full bore election cycle. Apparently, the world is made up of three types of people: Republicans, Democrats, and Those Pesky Independent/Third Party people. I suggest there is another category: Disciples of Jesus. Disciples of Jesus approach an election with one primary concern: How can I faithfully and most effectively represent my King to the rest of the world (2 Corinthians 5:20). We face the temptation for other considerations to be considered–even given priority. I frequently hear: –patriotism/love of…
Read MoreDo you have not-faith?
People from different backgrounds read these blog posts, so it would not be unusual for me to make statements that many would either disagree with, or at least wrestle with. But here is one with which I suspect virtually everyone reading this would agree: Faith is essential to being a disciple of Jesus In fact, the Hebrew writer goes so far as to say, without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). So, we all agree we have to have faith, right? But…
Read MoreDiscipleship when you don’t feel like it.
Being in love is a wonderful feeling. But it is a feeling, and feelings are not reliable. They come and go, ebb and flow and change with any number of influences. People in strong relationships enjoy being in love, but maintain a commitment to one another when they don’t feel that way. The love that holds them together is not an emotion, but a commitment to faithfulness. It works, because this is how God designed us. Disciples of Jesus have a similar relationship with Him.…
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