“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:34). At first glance, this statement seems incongruous with the popular conception of Jesus Christ. No doubt guided by Hollywood’s unhistorical and imaginative depictions, He is often pictured as insipid, blandly noncontroversial, or benignly accepting of anyone and anything. Modern thinking reduces Him to a supremely tolerant ethicist: one who condemns those people and things that society’s conventional wisdom deems as bad, while simultaneously excusing individuals from their personal guilt. In short, Jesus is modern man’s psychoanalyst, guru, confidant, and all around “buddy”, who will by no means challenge or offend contemporary sensibilities. Needless to say, this is a caricature of the true Messiah, whom the Scripture describes as a “stumbling block” (1 Cor. 1:23; cf. Rom. 9:32-33). The Lord Jesus’ own words reveal His controversial claims and actions, which even today offend the natural man.
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Tag: The Gospel
The Man For All Seasons
Modern man faces a bewildering array of difficulties. Economic uncertainty, soaring crime rates, devastating wars, and conflicts within families all threaten to overwhelm people. Because Christians live on this fallen planet and are not yet morally perfect, they are not exempt from these problems. Thankfully in facing the crises of life, we have an ever-present Saviour, who is capable of dealing with any situation. In the truest sense of the phrase our Lord Jesus is the Man for all seasons.
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The Lord Jesus Christ: Vilified & Vindicated
Lately there has been much in the news about the “true identity” of Christ. The Da Vinci Code, like its predecessors Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and The Last Temptation of Christ, affirms that the Lord Jesus was a mere man, who did ordinary things such as starting a family. Since this novel has been such a lucrative commercial success, spawning a major motion picture, other volumes have followed, purporting to reveal the secrets of the “real Jesus” (e.g. The Jesus Papers; The Jesus Dynasty, etc.). The suggestions that these works make are certainly not new. They are merely popularizing ideas that infidel scholarship has propounded for the last two centuries (from the nineteenth century liberal German scholar David Strauss’ “biography” The Life of Jesus to “The Jesus Seminar” of the 1980’s & 1990’s to the more recent The Pagan Christ by the University of Toronto’s Tom Harpur). In fact, attacks on the person of the Lord Jesus are actually quite ancient. The apostles dealt with such falsehoods in their writings (2 Tim. 3:13; 1 John 2:18-19). Note Paul’s impassioned warning to the elders from Ephesus: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30). In spite of the ever-multiplying attacks on Him, the biblical Christ will stand up to close historical scrutiny. The most compelling and realistic Jesus is the One that we encounter in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
To read the entire article, click on the title.
The Lord Jesus Christ: Vilified & Vindicated
Lately there has been much in the news about the “true identity” of Christ. The Da Vinci Code, like its predecessors Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and The Last Temptation of Christ, affirms that the Lord Jesus was a mere man, who did ordinary things such as starting a family. Since this novel has been such a lucrative commercial success, spawning a major motion picture, other volumes have followed, purporting to reveal the secrets of the “real Jesus” (e.g. The Jesus Papers; The Jesus Dynasty, etc.). The suggestions that these works make are certainly not new. They are merely popularizing ideas that infidel scholarship has propounded for the last two centuries (from the nineteenth century liberal German scholar David Strauss’ “biography” The Life of Jesus to “The Jesus Seminar” of the 1980’s & 1990’s to the more recent The Pagan Christ by the University of Toronto’s Tom Harpur). In fact, attacks on the person of the Lord Jesus are actually quite ancient. The apostles dealt with such falsehoods in their writings (2 Tim. 3:13; 1 John 2:18-19). Note Paul’s impassioned warning to the elders from Ephesus: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30). In spite of the ever-multiplying attacks on Him, the biblical Christ will stand up to close historical scrutiny. The most compelling and realistic Jesus is the One that we encounter in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
To read the entire article, click on the title.
God’s Thesaurus
People love a good mystery. Throughout the millennia, man has been captivated by seemingly inexplicable puzzles. Whether it is natural phenomena like gravity or electricity, or strange occurrences such as the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, it is clear that people are fascinated by the unexplained. Interest in uncanny happenings is not limited, however, to the rank and file of humanity. Rather, thoughtful sages and scholars have always pondered the deep issues of life and the Universe, deliberating on the meaning of life. Take the noted sixth-century philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus, as an example of this inquiring disposition among thinkers. He noted that the world seemed to be in a perpetual state of change. He likened it to a river: one can never step into the same river twice. By the time that one has removed his foot and placed it in the brook again, the water is different (due to the flow of the current.) In spite of this constant change, the cosmos does not degenerate into chaos, as one might expect. What explains the underlying unity that we see in the world? Heraclitus attributed this order to an unseen force, known as the Logos (i.e. “the Word.”) Other classical thinkers used this term to describe higher meaning. To the Stoics, the Logos was “the soul of the world” that gave ultimate reason to the cosmos. The Roman emperor-philosopher Marcus Aurelius viewed it as the creative principle in the Universe. Interestingly, the celebrated sage Plato once told his followers: “It may be that some day there will come forth from God a Word, a Logos, who will reveal all mysteries and make everything plain.”1 He had no idea how right he was!
To read the entire article, click on the title.
God's Thesaurus
People love a good mystery. Throughout the millennia, man has been captivated by seemingly inexplicable puzzles. Whether it is natural phenomena like gravity or electricity, or strange occurrences such as the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, it is clear that people are fascinated by the unexplained. Interest in uncanny happenings is not limited, however, to the rank and file of humanity. Rather, thoughtful sages and scholars have always pondered the deep issues of life and the Universe, deliberating on the meaning of life. Take the noted sixth-century philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus, as an example of this inquiring disposition among thinkers. He noted that the world seemed to be in a perpetual state of change. He likened it to a river: one can never step into the same river twice. By the time that one has removed his foot and placed it in the brook again, the water is different (due to the flow of the current.) In spite of this constant change, the cosmos does not degenerate into chaos, as one might expect. What explains the underlying unity that we see in the world? Heraclitus attributed this order to an unseen force, known as the Logos (i.e. “the Word.”) Other classical thinkers used this term to describe higher meaning. To the Stoics, the Logos was “the soul of the world” that gave ultimate reason to the cosmos. The Roman emperor-philosopher Marcus Aurelius viewed it as the creative principle in the Universe. Interestingly, the celebrated sage Plato once told his followers: “It may be that some day there will come forth from God a Word, a Logos, who will reveal all mysteries and make everything plain.”1 He had no idea how right he was!
To read the entire article, click on the title.
Jesus Christ & Man’s Religion
No figure has impacted the history of civilization like Jesus Christ. He has indelibly left His mark on man’s art, culture, science, politics, & religion. Even those who do not claim to be Christians, concede that the Lord Jesus’ teachings were of the highest moral standards & that He expressed many noble sentiments. Doubtless the world would be a better place if people practiced the teachings of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Sadly, the world bears little resemblance to the ideal paradise that the Lord Jesus spoke of. One may wonder at man’s inability to live up to the unquestionably high standards of New Testament Christianity. In North America it is easy to say that one is a Christian; living like one is a far different thing.
The great divide between the Lord Jesus’ ethical instruction and the evil that results in crime, oppression, terrorism, & other unrighteous acts that confront us has a simple explanation. Jesus Christ is the perfect man. He never uttered one word that he longed to take back, never had a sinful thought or desire. In every sense of the word He was sinless. Furthermore, the Bible also affirms that He is God. As 1 Tim.3:16 expresses it: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” In contrast to Jesus’ perfect humanity & deity, we are incorrigible sinners who fail miserably to achieve God’s righteous standards.
To read the entire article, click on the title.
Jesus Christ & Man's Religion
No figure has impacted the history of civilization like Jesus Christ. He has indelibly left His mark on man’s art, culture, science, politics, & religion. Even those who do not claim to be Christians, concede that the Lord Jesus’ teachings were of the highest moral standards & that He expressed many noble sentiments. Doubtless the world would be a better place if people practiced the teachings of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Sadly, the world bears little resemblance to the ideal paradise that the Lord Jesus spoke of. One may wonder at man’s inability to live up to the unquestionably high standards of New Testament Christianity. In North America it is easy to say that one is a Christian; living like one is a far different thing.
The great divide between the Lord Jesus’ ethical instruction and the evil that results in crime, oppression, terrorism, & other unrighteous acts that confront us has a simple explanation. Jesus Christ is the perfect man. He never uttered one word that he longed to take back, never had a sinful thought or desire. In every sense of the word He was sinless. Furthermore, the Bible also affirms that He is God. As 1 Tim.3:16 expresses it: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” In contrast to Jesus’ perfect humanity & deity, we are incorrigible sinners who fail miserably to achieve God’s righteous standards.
To read the entire article, click on the title.
From Darkness To Light
The powers of darkness confront mankind on every side. As 1 John 5:19 expresses it: “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (ESV) Unwitting humans are pawns in the hands of infernal powers who use them to inflict damage on the globe. The situation of the Gadarene demoniac mirrors the state of planet earth. More importantly his encounter with the Lord Jesus provides the solution for the raging malevolence that besets the world today. The Lord Jesus repeatedly faced opposition from the Satanic forces. Both Matthew 4 and Luke 4 detail His direct temptation by the “Accuser of the brethren” himself. In the Gospel of Mark, Christ’s first miracle is the casting out of “an unclean spirit” which afflicted a man in the Capernaum synagogue (Mark 1:21-27.) In Mark chapter five, as soon as the Lord Jesus crosses over the Sea of Galilee, He is met by a demon-possessed man from out of the tombs. Other Gospel accounts show that there were two demoniacs, but Mark chooses to focus on one of them in particular.
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Commission Minded Assemblies
From the beginning of Creation God has disclosed Himself to mankind. He wants to manifest Himself to the world, even if humans are unwilling to hear from Him. The Christian faith is the capstone of the Almighty’s revelation to His creatures. In engaging in missions, the Church shares in the Lord’s commitment to reach the world with the Gospel. There are numerous benefits to local churches when they are involved in foreign missionary endeavour. Believers profit from these activities, for in supporting the witness of Christ worldwide, they enjoy greater unity of purpose, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and love for the lost.
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