“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” (Matthew 7:28-29) Every time Jesus opened his mouth people reacted. This crowd was stunned by an inherent “authority,” which had nothing to do with the …
Irresponsible and Dangerous “Christianity”
I love Jesus with all my heart and I love worshipping him. I don’t care if it’s in a church building, in a living room, or out in public. Worshipping God is high on my list of favorites. I’ve led worship in all those places many hundreds of times, including out in the streets of …
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Myths, Speculations, and Conspiracy Theories
Someone said: “Debating with some people about the absurdity of some of the most outlandish conspiracy theories these days is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter how good you are, the pigeon will knock over the pieces, defecate on the board, and dance around thinking it won!” I find it particularly disturbing that …
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The Extra Mile
“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” (Matthew 5:41) Roman law entitled its soldiers to force any Jew into carrying his heavy military gear for a mile. Imagine how that made the Jews feel, being treated with all the respect of a pack mule. It wasn’t just the physical strain …
The Bully’s Backhand
Backhand a friend (just pretend!) in slow motion. Notice that their natural reaction to being backhanded on the right cheek is that their face recoils to their left. So when Jesus says, “Turn the other cheek,” he seems to be saying, turn your face back toward your attacker and look him in the eye. Don’t …
