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Our agendas in the Kingdom of God
Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look at these tremendous stones and buildings!” Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!” So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the…
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The Kingdom of God belongs to the seriously messed up
“When Jesus described himself as a physician to sinners, a healer of the inner life, he was calling himself much more than one who associated with the broken, more even than one who could and would forgive them for the damage they had wreaked in their relationships with God and with one another. He was claiming to be one who could take damaged souls…
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To repent
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15, NIV) There is a simple, literal rendering of this word meaning “to change one’s mind.” That doesn’t capture what Jesus is asking of us.
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The current evangelical game of “gotcha”
Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. (Mark 12:13, NIV) We are creating new games of “gotcha” in the evangelical world on almost a weekly basis now. Statements issued by one group are carefully scrutinized by another. Actions of one group are carefully scrutinized for motive by another. The religious…
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Saving my life and my ministry
I don’t mind living a little bit “out there” so people can examine what is going on in my life spiritually and theologically. I don’t mind engaging in hard issues, like racism, immigration, etc. It does get a bit tougher when it comes to very personal matters, but I also know there are people who have the same struggles I…
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Psychological salvation
“The reason why the widespread contemporary understanding of faith differs so much from the biblical understanding is that “faith” in the Bible is a covenantal concept while today it has largely become a psychological concept.” — Greg Boyd, The Crucifixion of the Warrior God
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Defining the Kingdom of God
“The kingdom Jesus proclaimed was neither Christianity, church, nor Christendom (words that carry all kinds of unhelpful associations in the minds of many people…). Above all else, Jesus understood the kingdom to be a community — that amazing divine and human community of loving friendship that God had envisioned from the beginning of all creation, and that has remained his constant…
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The beautiful promise of walking with God
“The mightiest cities will one day crumble, and the most noble societies will pass. But God’s purpose remains steadfast and cannot be frustrated. God, whose presence fills all creation, is calling people to life in a community built on eternal foundations. He is calling you.” — Chris Webb, God Soaked Life: Discovering a Kingdom Spirituality
