"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23 & 24 When Jesus had a conversation with the …
Continue reading Provocative Worship pt 3: What the Father is Looking For
For centuries Christianity in the western world has been infected by a disease. It was transmitted to us by some of the most important and influential thinkers in the history of Western Civilization. Chief among them would be the Greek Philosopher Plato. But quick on his heals would be Aristotle. Plato and Aristotle held a …
Continue reading Provocative Worship pt 2: All of Life is Sacred
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Colossians 2:17 One cold and snowy winter weekend a group of people from North Park church outside Pittsburgh went away for a retreat that focused on spiritual disciplines. The setting was a local convent that rented out space …
Continue reading Provocative Worship: It is NOT About the Music
"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Does God really mean that in every circumstance that we are to be thankful? How can we possibly be thankful when things go horribly wrong? It's easy to understand that we are to give thanks for all …
Continue reading Provocative Bible Verses: Give Thanks In All Things
As a republic of the former Soviet Union, the people of Ukraine lived under the forty-year domination of a communist system that worked relentlessly to destroy the church and any belief in Jesus Christ. With the fall of communism and the break up of the Soviet Union, Ukraine suddenly found itself free to determine it’s …
Continue reading Christians in Ukraine: The First Generation Grows Up
I wonder if atheists have really thought through the implications of what they believe. By that I don't mean the implications for what happens when you die. That is usually the first place Christians want to focus the discussion. Rather, I wonder if they have really thought about the implications of what happens when you …
In the wake of the election, all the debates, hype, and turmoil, it is clear that many Christians still do not understand what America is all about and what our place in it really is. I have seen numerous calls for a returning of America to a Christian nation. People; we never were a Christian …
There are few things that can both depress me and make me furious at the same time. This is about one of those things. A headline on the BBC news website is titled Christian Infighting in Jerusalem. The title does not even begin to hint at the appalling nature of the story that follows. In …
At 7am on Wednesday November 5th I posted "Why God Had Obama Win". Up until that time this site averaged less than 20 hits a day for the two months that it was up. In a little over 48 hours 800 people have accessed the site and I have been told of hundreds more who …
"for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God" Romans 13:1 If Romans 13:1 is right, then Barack Obama won the election because God established it to be that way. If that is true then there are many Christians today who did not want …
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they …
Why is it that so many Christians love Lord of the Rings (LOTR) and vilify Harry Potter (HP)? I ask the question because to my way of thinking there is no significant difference between the two works of literature. In J.R.R. Tolkien's classic work we have a story of good versus evil, friendships forged in …
Continue reading Lord of the Rings, Good; Harry Potter, Bad; Really?
"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers" John 4:23 When I listen to much that passes for Gospel preaching these days I get the very clear impression that the Gospel is all …
It is a strange phenomenon to me that followers of Jesus need to be encouraged to tell others about Him. There seems to be an almost universal reluctance on the part of Christians in the west to tell other people that they love and follow Jesus and that the listener should love and follow Him …
"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do …
Continue reading Provocative Contentment: Is God Really Enough?
The Provocative Christian 