Deliver Us From Evil

The last few months have been alarming. Hurricane Maria has left Puerto Rico without power to this day. California has had several fires and now a mud slide that left at least 17 dead. In New Jersey we had a "bomb cyclone" that left the east cost covered in snow. North Korea gets ever closer to nuking the world. Just last month suicide bombers took out a church in Pakistan during a children's Christmas program.

Evil is part of the sinful world that we live in. There are times that the world seems so dark we cannot imagine how God can be in control. We wonder if there is anything that can save us from the evil in this world. Every day we hear of another case of sexual assault and abuse of power. Some of us have experienced very real evil in our own homes. When we pray for deliverance from evil often we think of immediate evil. But what Jesus was teaching us was about so much more.

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

I want to start this entry in the series with a question. What is your biggest temptation? It might be those cupcakes that coworker brought into work. It might be speeding. For some it will be a bottle of alcohol, for others heroin or meth. For over half of men the answer to that question would be porn. What I want you to see is that there are temptations all around us. Everyday. We cannot escape temptation. And yet for most this is a petition to God for escape from a life of temptation. But that is not really what Jesus is teaching us.

Forgive Us Like We Forgive Others

It has taken me quite a while to write this. Not because I have nothing to say about forgiveness, but because I have already written on it and I wasn't sure what I could add. When I actually went back and read my previous article I realized that I had left out the very passage from the Lord's Prayer that we will deal with today. In talking about this section of the Lord's Prayer I will of course go over some of what I have said before. But enough disclaimer. On to the intro. (Well that didn't take long did it?)

When we recite the part of the Lord's Prayer about forgiveness, we often focus on the first half: forgive us our sins. We gloss over the second half about forgiving others. It's understandable. Everyone wants to be forgiven by God. Isn't that what the Bible is all about? The issue is that what Jesus actually taught us to pray was a petition to God that was contingent on our forgiveness of others. Said another way Jesus taught us to ask God to only forgive us if we forgive others.

Our Daily Bread

It has been a long summer. I was away from home for most of the summer. I spent a lot of that time thinking about how little we really trust God with everything. How we often think that we can do things ourselves. If the events in Texas show us anything, it is that we really don't have control over much. Building a flood proof house doesn't stop the flood, it just makes you feel safe right up to the point that it fails. Our rock in storms shouldn't be the work of our own hands, it should be Jesus Christ the Son of God

Confessions of a Tech Junkie

I woke up at 4 this morning. For some of you that would be normal. Those of you that know me are probably shocked. The reason I woke up so early is because I went to bed at 9 last night. My wife thinks its because I stayed up late (think early am) the last two nights and my body doesn't know how to actually get enough sleep. Anyway, that is not the point of this blog.

The point of this blog is that I am a tech junkie. I stayed up late earlier this week because I was engrossed in technology. I have been engrossed in technology ever since my parents gave me a 386 that they got from someone else. I was 13. And ever since then I have been technology apologist. 

Thy Will Be Done

The last entry in this series was about the Kingdom of God. It was about how that kingdom is drastically different than any other kingdom. It is a place of justice, peace and mercy. The Kingdom of Heaven is the utopia that so many nation states try and fail to create. For some this may seem like a unicorn -- a magical beast that everyone wants, but does not exist. The truth is that the Kingdom of God does exist. It is a place greater than anything we know, but living there is not easy. To live in the Kingdom of Heaven requires giving up every selfish desire. It means that you must submit to the king of that kingdom.

Who is in the Heavens

Heaven. If you asked most Americans they would say that heaven is up in the sky. It has puffy clouds and golden gates and angels with harps and halos. But this is not really what Jesus meant when He said that the Father is in heaven. Actually, He said that the Father is in the heavens. He used the plural. For some this might not do anything, but for others this might change the meaning.

Just like the last entry in the series we often overlook this phrase. We think we know what Jesus meant when He said "Our Father, who art in heaven." But the truth is that we probably don't spend as much time understanding this phrase as we should. We need to look at the more than just the translation. The history of the use of this word is just as important as the translation.

Our Father

Our Father. These are the first two words of the Lord's Prayer. At first glance they don't seem to mean much. They are just an address to God and yet this address brings with it some rich theology. In these two words we find hope, community, belonging, identity. In these two words is a deep understanding of who we are as a people of God and who God is for us. These first two words set the stage for understanding the rest of the Lord's Prayer.

How Power Has Corrupted American Christianity

I want you to imagine something. I want you imagine an America where Christians are executed for preaching the gospel. Where religious leaders are imprisoned for what they preach. Where Christians are tortured, flogged, and forced to live as outcasts. This is the American we will have if Hillary is elected President. Or at least it is the America that some want you to think we will have. And if I'm honest, I don't think that is such a bad thing.

Unforgiven

I'm sorry, this blog is not about Metallica or Clint Eastwood. If you came here expecting me to talk about those you might be disappointed. I'm not saying I won't, just that this probably isn't what you think. But enough disclaimer. On to the intro.

There is a passage in the Gospel of Matthew which we often look over. (If I am honest there are quite a few!) It comes right after the Lord's Prayer, right in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. In this passage Jesus tells us that if we do not forgive others God will not forgive us. Yes you heard me right. Most people when they hear this ask one simple question. Does this mean that you can lose your salvation? That is indeed a good question.

The Fear of a Fence

Since when has the church cared about offending people? Like seriously? We create movies where we insult atheists. We boycott Starbucks because they took Christmas off the cup. We even try and pass legislation that forces transgender people to use bathrooms that they don't want to. But when we try and clean house, when the church tries to point the finger at itself suddenly we care about offense?! Seriously?! THAT is the line that we can't cross?! I hate to tell ya, but we have it ALL backwards people.

Your Kingdom Come

About a month ago I wrote a blog about Zombie Jesus. In it I stated that the resurrection is the Christian hope. I stated that because of the resurrection we have hope to be raised ourselves. I mentioned that our hope is not simply in heaven. I said that our hope is God's kingdom come . . . here . . . now . . . today. 

One of the comments I got about the post was a question on how to live out that kingdom. The statement was made that it is great to recognize that our hope is the resurrection, but what do we do with that? How do we live that out? Tell me what to do. It's taken me almost a month to come up with an answer.

Do Nothing.

God is Not in Your Movie

So earlier this weak I posted this article to my Facebook page. Though I have said things about Christian movies before I did not quite expect the response I got. For the most part it was divisive. There were many who liked it, but I could tell that I had many people who were offended or at least confused that I would agree with such writing. Thus, I feel I need to do some more explanation. 

Truth: A Story for Good Friday

I wasn't planning on writing anything today. Its Good Friday and I am sure there are a million other blogs being written today. I have other things that I need to prepare for. Yet in this preparation I came across two verses in the Gospel of John that hit me like a ton of bricks. (Or a ton of feathers. They are the same you know.) So I guess then I have a blog for today.

Hell is for Christians

I believe in hell. I believe it is eternal. And I believe that people stay there. Most of you might not be surprised by me saying this, but some of you will be. Those that are closest to me might be down right shocked. But that is not why I'm writing this blog.

No.

The shocking thing is I believe that many who call themselves Christians, who have said the sinners prayer, will end up in hell.

Your Prayers are Pointless

Recently my church had a showing of War Room. The plot of the movie revolves around a middle class African American family. The couple and their daughter are in the midst of struggles that would seem familiar to many families. They don't seem to love each other anymore and both are ignoring their daughter. The wife finds a mentor and seeks to change her family through prayer.

By the end of the movie the family is happily back together. The wife still meets with her mentor, but now seeks to find someone else to pour into. The thrust of the movie is that the prayer of the wife changed the family. Prayer works . . . at least in this movie.

Wizards, Horoscopes, and Babies

So today is epiphany. (No, not apostrophe Smee.) For those of you that don't know. This is the day that we celebrate the magi finding baby Jesus. There are a lot of things I could do with this. I could talk about the number of magi, or how the gifts they bring point to the crucifixion. But, as you might have guessed form the title, today I want to talk about who the magi really were and what that means for Christians.

Christmas Eve: Manger

So it's Christmas Eve. Most of you are probably spending time with your families. Perhaps you have family that has come in from out of town and you are trying to find room in your house for them all. Maybe you will go to a Christmas Eve service where you will light candles or even have a live nativity. Whatever you do I want you to consider one last thing before you wake to open all the presents.