Violence and oppression are brothers. They are in the same category. They’re not the same thing, but they produce the same results: division and hatred. Violence and oppression are the instruments that a broken world uses to secure itself. Broken...
In Matthew 7, “Jesus moves from personal temptations to interpersonal temptations” (ESV Study Bible Notes). This means that our relationship with others is on par with our relationship with the Father in terms of importance. Ultimately...
Yesterday was Palm Sunday. We decided to visit a dear friend’s church in rural Haiti (Grisen-Garde, outside of Cap-Haitian). It was one of the rare Sundays that I wasn’t supposed to preach (ah, finally a respite). But before we walked into the...
Take time to watch this video in which N.T. Wright brings together the Kingdom and Cross.
At first blush, the Synoptic Gospels (Matt, Mark, and Luke) are so different from the gospel according to John. Two of the three Synoptics start with the genealogy of Jesus (Matt and Luke). Mark jumps right into the story with John’s ministry...
Dr. Brent Sleasman preached a great message in EBS chapel today. He talked about how Jesus turned human culture on its head by challenging the social protocol of reciprocity. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus not only changes the Mosaic law (as the...
The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. — Matthew 13:31 God’s Kingdom, while being entirely transcendent and different than the human kingdoms of this broken, corrupt, and decaying world...
Don’t underestimate what God can do through you. When we do this, we’re not underestimating ourselves, but God. We must remember that of all the people Jesus could have chose to change the world he chose uneducated fisherman. The...
The Kingdom is now, but not yet. Jesus’ rule has been established through the Cross and resurrection. Through faith in Jesus people are able to becomes citizens of the Kingdom. At the same time, the Kingdom is not yet. Jesus has yet to pronounce...
Why did Jesus die? Is there really a short and simple answer to this question? Can the most important event in human history really be summed up in one quick line? Think about the various kinds of answers we can come up with. We could give...