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Sweeping Victory
What is the power of the resurrection? It is “sweeping victory.” This is where I like how the Common English Bible puts some phrases. They take some very familiar passages and bring a fresh perspective. The resurrection is power. 11If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the…
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The Temple Curtain Was Torn
38 The curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion, who stood facing Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “This man was certainly God’s Son.” (Mark 15:38-39, CEB) Ronald Kernaghan offers some thoughts on the curtain in his commentary on Mark in the IVP New Testament Commentary Series. The curtain may have been the one…
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We are all capable
C.S. Lewis said the person sitting on the bus next to us is capable of extraordinary horror or extraordinary heroics. This is the battle we all face. This is what the disciples faced on the night Jesus was betrayed. They didn’t know who would betray Jesus. Then, Peter, big mouth that he was, declared his death-defying allegiance to Jesus. He ran…
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We Don’t Have It All Figured Out
We should really come to the realization that Christians just don’t have it all figured out. What we DO know is the One who HAS figured it all out. He may tell us a few things along the way. He may not reveal everything. The thing is this: we follow Christ. And we do it as best we can. Warts and…
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Lord, Is It Me?
17 That evening, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 During the meal, Jesus said, “I assure you that one of you will betray me—someone eating with me.” 19 Deeply saddened, they asked him, one by one, “It’s not me, is it?” (Mark 14:17-19, CEB) Jesus prepares this meal on this night among chaos. He prepares a meal in love knowing he is about to be…
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Race and Reconciliation
I posted some initial thoughts on Pentecost and race here. Then I saw this video with Piper, Keller, and Anthony Bradley discussing race and reconciliation. Piper is okay on this stuff, but Keller really jolted me into paying attention with corporate racism thoughts. He gave a “white guy’s” perspective, and I could understand more clearly what I’ve thought of before.…
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Taxes and Who We Owe
No better time than tax season to have a story on taxes from Mark 12. And it’s always a great question in our culture. Just bring up TAXES and see what kind of response we get! 13 They sent some of the Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap him in his words. 14They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know…
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Reconciliation and Pentecost
I am currently reading Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Restoration: Multidisciplinary Studies from a Pentecostal Perspective. It was sent to me as a review copy. Renea Brathwaite’s chapter is incredibly insightful and powerful. He gives a historical perspective about Azusa Street and does so as an African American Pentecostal scholar. He retells the story of the racist Charles Parham and the spiritually…
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Did a Shooting Happen… or not?
Yesterday the news was all over the internet in what I consider “main sources.” It was the first thing you saw when the news page would come up. When newspapers were actually printed, it would be called “above the fold.” It was front and center. I thought there was yet another shooting at yet another college campus. Seven dead. And…
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Liking the Common English Bible Bit by Bit
Teaching a New Testament class on some of the “general epistles” I keep several translations with me. I will use my Nook and the Olive Tree Bible Reader to compare, take notes, etc. While the Common English Bible certainly has a lower reading level than more “literal” translations, what continues to impress me about the CEB is it is truly a…
