We live in a culture where what we see and hear can so easily be manipulated, deceiving us into believing something that is false. Have you heard of deep fakes? That is video technology in which you can make videos of people saying whatever you want them to say, and it really looks like aContinue reading “Why “advent” is a surprisingly good word describing the appearance of Jesus – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Part 1″
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Christians, Conspiracy Theories and the end of the world – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Preview
Join me in a little True or False quiz: The earth is flat. The moon landing was fake. Bigfoot is real. The Lochness Monster is real. The Abominable Snowman is real. Jet plan entrails are soaking us with chemicals. Know what they all have in common? People believe them. Do you believe any of theseContinue reading “Christians, Conspiracy Theories and the end of the world – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Preview”
How to be counted as worthy of God’s Kingdom – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 5
Will you be counted as worthy of the Kingdom of God? Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 5 that the Thessalonian Christians’ growing spiritual maturity in the midst of persecution is evidence that they will be counted as worthy of the Kingdom. That’s quite a statement. What if we are Christians who haven’t beenContinue reading “How to be counted as worthy of God’s Kingdom – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 5”
A helpful perspective on pain – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 4
Is pain always bad? How do you handle pain? I’m not a fan of pain. I’ve been battling a heel spur for the past year. Initially it hurt sharply every step I took. But through treatment, especially stretching, it is at bay. I can still feel it, but it isn’t crippling. I even run 4-5Continue reading “A helpful perspective on pain – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 4”
Why “Lord Jesus Christ” is subversive, and “grace and peace” is more than a greeting – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 3
Have you ever heard someone talk about Jesus Christ, as if “Christ” is his last name, or surname? The name “Jesus Christ” has become so culturally familiar, perhaps most often used as an expletive. What does his name mean? Continue reading, as our study through 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 during this first week of AdventContinue reading “Why “Lord Jesus Christ” is subversive, and “grace and peace” is more than a greeting – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 3″
When does a church become a church? – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 2
My church rents space to four other groups of Christians, and those groups describe themselves with a variety labels that indicate their relative age. First Baptist Church, as you can see in its name, is an established local church, older, I believe, than my church. The Orthodox group, however, calls themselves a fellowship. An establishedContinue reading “When does a church become a church? – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 2”
Introducing our Advent 2021 series – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 1
For this Advent season, I thought it would be good to study a lesser-known book of the Bible that relates to Advent. This letter didn’t originally relate to Advent. Advent was a season of the year that Christians created many years after this letter was written. But because Advent mean “arrival,” I think you’ll seeContinue reading “Introducing our Advent 2021 series – 2 Thessalonians 1, Part 1”
The important connection between Sci-fi and Advent – 2 Thessalonians 1, Preview
How do you feel about science fiction? Are you a sci-fi lover? A sci-fi hater? I love sci-fi. I love pretty much any sub-genre within the larger sci-fi umbrella. What’s not to love? Time travel, futuristic technology, spaceships, lasers, intergalactic travel, and of course, aliens. Sci-fi has it all! I recently started watching a newContinue reading “The important connection between Sci-fi and Advent – 2 Thessalonians 1, Preview”
How to think Christianly about America (or any nation) – Ezekiel 29-32, Part 5
This week we have been studying the rise and fall of great powers, because we learned about the fall of Egypt as prophesied by Ezekiel in Ezekiel 29-32. In the previous post, we learned that in recent history, the rise and fall of great powers is controlled by economics. So we have to ask, whatContinue reading “How to think Christianly about America (or any nation) – Ezekiel 29-32, Part 5”
What is the cause of the rise and fall of the great powers – Ezekiel 29-32, Part 4
When I traveled with Michelle to Cambodia in 2016, we visited Angkor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the world. It is astounding. Ancient temples built a thousand years ago reminding us that there used to be a super power there, the Khmer Kingdom. It was a far-reaching kingdom, a superpower in Southeast Asia. Continue reading “What is the cause of the rise and fall of the great powers – Ezekiel 29-32, Part 4”
Engaging Scripture 