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Kingdom

Monday’s Passion: Following an Anti-Religion Activist (Mk. 11:12-19)

 

11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.  12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.  15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’ ? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”  (Mk. 11:11-17 TNIV).Read More »Monday’s Passion: Following an Anti-Religion Activist (Mk. 11:12-19)

The Offering: Leave it at the Altar (Rom. 12:1-2)

I recently saw a t-shirt which made for Christians.  On the front of the t-shirt is something that looks like a fire-fighter’s logo or crest.  Inside the crest are these words: “God doesn’t sell fire insurance.”  Beneath the crest are these words: “But he gives it away to his friends.”  On the back of the t-shirt is one more line: “Are you a friend of God?”  There, in three lines, is a t-shirt designer’s summary of the Christian faith: God doesn’t sell fire insurance.  But he gives it away to his friends.  Are you a friend of God?  Here, the Christian faith is all about “fire insurance.”  And what is “fire insurance”?  It refers to the fires of Hell.  Based on this t-shirt synopsis, the Christian faith is primarily “fire insurance” to save you from Hell.

Read More »The Offering: Leave it at the Altar (Rom. 12:1-2)

Do Pray-Part 2 (Matt. 6:5-15)

During the recent presidential campaign some argued that we should not elect someone who is elite—more highly trained and experienced than most—but should instead elect someone who is ordinary—able to relate to the average man or woman.  One author wrote this:[1] There is simply no other walk of life in which extraordinary talent and rigorous training are denigrated. We want elite pilots to fly our planes, elite troops to undertake our most critical missions, elite athletes to represent us in competition and elite scientists to devote the most productive years of their lives to curing our diseases. And yet, when it comes time to vest people with even greater responsibilities, we consider it a virtue to shun any and all standards of excellence. When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth—in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn’t seem too intelligent or well educated.  This author argues that we need people in the White House who are elite, who are at the top rung in terms of experience, education, and insight.  Others however, were arguing that that we need people in the White House who are not elite, people who are more like the rest of us.

Read More »Do Pray-Part 2 (Matt. 6:5-15)