“Be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.” Romans 12:2 (The Message Version) I’m both enamored with and terrified by Jesus’ audacious ethic. His Sermon contains some of the most fetching words ever spoken and at the same time the most unachievable to live under …
The Upside Down Kingdom
“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.” Acts 17:6-7 We who make our feeble attempts to emulate Jesus are viewed by the upside down culture as the upside downers. It’s …
The Best Possible Preview
When Jesus said his Kingdom is not of this world, he didn’t mean it had no place in this world. In eternity Jesus made heaven, inhabited its perfections, and ruled supreme there. In history he came to earth to show us what perfection looks like and taught us how to emulate him while living here …
Heaven Shares its King
Jesus uses “Kingdom of Heaven” over and over to describe a way of life that is transplanted from heaven to earth. It’s not just a Kingdom in heaven, but the Kingdom of heaven wherein he injects the life of heaven in willing earthly subjects. He gradually grows that life inside them, and then, through them …
Two Gospels?
The typical evangelical pitch to pre-Christians these days sounds something like, “Come to Jesus and when you die he will take you to a better world.” While that’s true, I believe that it should include something more like, “Come to Jesus and you’ll come alive. And when you do, come help us make this a …
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