Wives submit to your husbands. It used to be those words were heard in nearly every Christian wedding. Today they are hardly ever spoken and in fact are intentionally avoided. Certainly part of the reason for the change has much to do with a renewed sense of equality that women are striving towards. But it …
Continue reading Provocative Bible Verses: Wives Submit to Your Husbands
I recently spent three days in Egypt doing leadership training for 500 Egyptian pastors and business leaders. During my last night there my hotel overlooked the Nile River. I was reminded once again that Moses took a little float trip down this very river as a baby, nearly 4000 years ago. I later visited The …
In the time I spent with my friends in Egypt recently I was humbled by their ability to live for Jesus while under the constant strain of being a minority that is not trusted or appreciated and is always being watched. I am sure that for some the strain of feeling that you are always …
This morning I was confronted with one of those Bible passages with which we like to do one of two things. It is a passage that we either try to ignore altogether or explain it away so that we become convinced that it could never apply to our situation. The passage deals with giving honor …
Continue reading Provocative Bible Verses: Honoring Obama Even When You Completely Disagree
Reba McEntire is an amazing talent and an inspiration on many levels. Please don't take this as a personal attack on the Country and Western icon. But among the list of her many talents, theologian is probably not near the top of the list. Why do I say that? It comes as a result of …
Continue reading Reba, Reincarnation, Recycling, and Redemption
Recently former President Jimmy Carter made the accusation that the opposition to health care reform, including the outburst by South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson is motivated by racism. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/15/carter.obama/index.html On the other end of the spectrum there are many who are saying that racism plays no part what-so-ever in that debate or other disagreements with …
Continue reading Provocative Christian Living: Crossing the Racial Divide
I recently got involved in an email exchange in which a gentleman asked, "Why does god have petty human emotions like jealousy and anger? History has proven that these emotions have never been good for anyone". A bit later in the email the writer made it clear that if God saw a therapist then He …
If your Christian experience has found you in a more conservative church that focuses on people asking Jesus into their hearts then you have probably been trained that the Gospel is all about loving God and making sure you will get to heaven. If your experience is more of a church that focuses on serving …
Having taught several courses on World Religions I find it fascinating that people strongly object to the Christian doctrine that Jesus is the only way to heaven. It is especially curious when you consider that other major religions have included Jesus in their systems. In some cases they seem to revere Jesus as much as, …
"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." Matthew 18:20 If a few followers of Jesus are gathered together in His name and He is there as He promised, doesn't that mean by definition that you have "The Church"? If the church is the ekklesia, the …
Two weeks ago I was at a conference in Nairobi, Kenya. There were over 300 people there for the African Forum on Religion and Government. Now you may be wondering what in the world I was doing there. I suspect that some people at the conference wondered that as well. I was invited because the …
Woke up this mornin’ turned on my TV set There in livin’ color was something’ I can’t forget This man was preachin’ at me, yeah, layin’ on the charm Asking me for 20 with 10,000 on his arm He wore designer clothing and a big smile on his face Selling me salvation while they sang …
Continue reading Provocative Contentment: Would Jesus Wear a Rolex on His TV Show?
7"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than …
Continue reading Provocative Bible Verses: Cutting Off Limbs for Jesus
Today I felt like I was observing history in the making. I was one of over two hundred people who gathered for the African Forum on Religion and Government just outside Nairobi Kenya. The Minister of Information from Liberia spoke about how Jesus is changing that nation. He was followed by the Vice President of …
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. The Book of Acts 2:45 If there was ever a passage that ran counter to our culture of accumulation then this is it. The first generation of followers of Jesus made sure that no one who was a part of their new …
Continue reading Provocative Bible Verses: No One Lacked Anything They Needed
The Provocative Christian 