"The Book of Acts", or "The Acts of the Apostles", as it is known, is really, "The Acts and Teachings of Jesus as He Works through His Spirit through His Followers"..."Acts" it is!
Acts 1:
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The very best book written about heaven is....
There have been so many books written about heaven, the afterlife, what's it going to be like after I die? and everything in between. In the fiction and non-fiction categories. Heaven Is For Real, The Shack, Love Wins, you name it; I have read most of them.
But, I'll bet you haven't. At least I will guess most of you have not read by far the best book I have read so far on the topic of "what's heaven like?" It is a fictional account about a father grieving after the death of his best friend, his daughter, and his mother; all within two years.
I could continue with a deep insightful review, but before you spend another dime on another "heaven" book- Read this!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
what does "gospel" mean?
The word "gospel" comes from the Old English, god+spell, or "good" "word" (think of the word, "spelling"). Now you know where they got the title for the 70's musical, "Godspell."
There are many different ways of expressing the good news. The four main books that record the story of Jesus in the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are all called "Gospels," as in "The Gospel according to ..." What each of these Gsopel writers say about the "gospel" is helpful.
Matthew
Matthew doesn't specifically say what he is writing. He starts his book off with a geneology to show the legitimate connection between "Jesus the Messiah," Abraham and King David. Jesus is the one of whom the Jewish people are waiting.
Mark
Mark starts his gospel by specifically stating it is a gospel, or "good words (news)."
"Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God." (New Living Translation)
Luke
Luke is probably writing to a benefactor and/or friend, "Theophilus" ("Lover of God"). Luke gives his reason for writing at the beginning.
"Most honorable Theophilus:
Many people have written accounts about the events that took place among us. They used as their source material the reports circulating among us from the early disciples and other eyewitnesses of what God has done in fullfillment of his promises. Having carefully investigated all of these accounts from the beginning, I have decided to write a careful summmary for you, to reassure you of the truth of all you were taught." (NLT)
John
With John, what is most interesting is how he ends his gospel.
"This is that disciple who saw these events and recorded them here. And we all know that his account of these things is accurate. And I suppose that if all the other things Jesus did were written down, the whole world could not contain the books." (NLT)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
what does "evangelism" mean?
"Evangelism" comes from the Greek word, euangelion (εὐαγγέλιον), which translates, "good message," or "good news." In the Christian faith, we speak of the good news as the message of Jesus that is recorded in the Bible. We say this is a message sent from God. You can see a clue to this meaning in the very word, "evangelism."
EVANGELISM...
Get it?
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sometime's, it's all about the question...
"Are you saved?"
"Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?"
"Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?"
"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
Now, which of these questions is actually in the Bible?
Only the last question, from Acts 19:2.
Interesting that the other three questions have been commonly used in various "Evangelism" training resources.
"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Not so common.
Why is this?
Monday, May 16, 2011
Begin Again: Creation and Easter- podcast
It's a whole new world, beginning with the first day of the new creation.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Son Power- Easter podcast
The resurrection of Jesus, the first day of the new creation, and the power that follows- Alleluia
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Begin Again: Creation and Easter- podcast
It's a whole new world, beginning with the first day of the new creation.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Son Power- Easter podcast
The resurrection of Jesus, the first day of the new creation, and the power that follows- Alleluia
Monday, May 02, 2011
There is no confusion about this in Christianity or "What you will never hear from an American President..."
Let me understand...
Last night, President Obama said this. "...we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims."
O.K.
Check.
I got it. This is not an Islamic thing.
Then I read this. "After bin Laden was killed in a raid by U.S. forces in Pakistan, senior administration officials said the body would be handled according to Islamic practice and tradition."
All right, now I am confused. I know Osama bin Laden is not a Muslim leader. We've been told this about a million times. Trouble is, no one told him that. For example, here is how he bookends just one of his "talks" to the American people.
"Praise be to Allah who created the creation for his worship and commanded them to be just and permitted the wronged one to retaliate against the oppressor in kind...And Allah is our Guardian and Helper, while you have no Guardian or Helper. All peace be upon he who follows the Guidance."
So, I guess he is a Muslim leader, after all, or at least a leader who is a Muslim. Or at least he thought so. This is confusing.
This kind of confusion can't happen for someone who follows Jesus. A Christian doesn't have any support if he is calling himself a "Christian" and he is using his faith as a blanket criteria to strike out violently against his enemy. Jesus talked about "forgiving your enemy," "praying for your enemy," "turn the other cheek," and all the rest.
Nothing about "retaliating against the oppressor."
Those who followed Jesus followed his lead, and didn't strike out violently against some of the worst oppression the world has ever known: First century Roman Imperialism. In fact, one of the top leaders in the early Christian community, Jesus' right hand man said this, "Honor the emperor." (1 Peter 2:17) (!!)
The fact is, you may call yourself a "Christian" and use violence in the name of your faith, but you don't have any support to do so. Jesus wouldn't claim you as one of his own because the teachings and model of Jesus and the Church he designed forbid using violence in the name of your faith. There is no confusion about this.
(This is not about Christians serving in the armed forces and such. That is another topic. One's faith obviously informs the decisions one makes in life, including being a soldier. But, this is not a criteria of any "Christian" governing system)
That's why it is impossible for there to ever be a Christian nation, or a Christian army, or any such thing. Jesus, and the New Testament Church that followed, didn't leave us with any system of government. In fact, there is no Christian ideology which can be used to rule as governing law.
Now, let me be clear, individual Christians have a system to guide our lives. Its called, "Following Jesus." Sometimes we might even refer to it as law. It is called the "Law of love," based on this teaching of Jesus.
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27)
There is no confusion about the Christian faith on this topic.
That's why you are never going these words coming from an American President.
'...we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Christianity.'
Think about this deeply.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- Dana
- Pastor from LIFEhouse Church in Northridge CA, focusing on the theme, "How To Be A Christian Without Being A Jerk."
