Those with a pure heart can “see God” because their sight isn’t impaired by trying to focus on more than one thing at the same time. The outlook of cross-eyed Christians is blurred by competing concerns. The only thing worse than spiritual blindness is thinking you can see when you can’t (Revelation 3:18). Viewing God …
“Love Your Enemies” Suggestion or Command?
The enemy-love message is not exactly what you’d call “attractional.” Sadly, it’s easier to gather a crowd with the message about a God who blesses our battles and hates our enemies as much as we do. Fear, anger, and hate are more popular than love and more natural to our darker selves. Unrestricted love is …
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Love Who?
If I could I’d invent a loophole to get me off the hook of loving my enemies, believe me I would¬¬––maybe something along the lines of pleading insanity. I’ve made a few failed attempts at the “unrealistic-for-postmodern-times” excuse for not following him in enemy-love. If nothing else, I could hide behind the popular alibi that …
THE BENEFIT OF PERSECUTION
"Wouldn’t our detractors just love it if we gave up our pursuit of what’s right? Yet far from reneging on our allegiance to live as citizens of his subversive Kingdom, we can actually be “glad” about the pressure they put on us. In truth, our persecutors’ unintended consequence crowds us to Christ! And instead of …
The Groan of the Godly
The Groan of the Godly “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) “There is a time… to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…” (Ecclesiastes 3:4) Jesus’ ancestors and contemporaries knew how to face their sufferings in such a way as to …
