Tag: Christian living

Doomsday Prepping

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Jesus had a lot to say about the end of the world. He spoke of judgment as often as the prophets of old. That makes sense given that He was a prophet. He was far more than that, of course, but He wasn’t less than that. As we move forward with Luke in his story of sacrifice, we find Jesus having a conversation with the disciples about the future and judgment that was coming to Jerusalem itself and the world as a whole. It’s a wild picture. Let’s take a look at what He has to say and what it might mean for us with Easter in view.

Doomsday Prepping

Everybody knows the world is going to end at some point in the future. It’s not a matter of if; only of when. And I don’t say that simply as a Bible-believing follower of Jesus. Secular scientists tell us that at some point in the hopefully distant future the sun is going to go supernova, explode, and that’ll be the end of our solar system. Fun fact: that was not always the “common knowledge” that it is today. Used to be, all of the smartest people in the world “knew” the universe was eternal. It has always been here and would always be here. Christians with their beliefs about the end of the world with the return of Christ were so quaint and primitive. Albert Einstein famously introduced a made up fudge factor into some complicated equations he discovered that let physicists describe the universe in very mathematical terms that resulted in their showing the universe was eternal because if you solved them without that, they pointed to a finite beginning point of the universe, and he “knew” that wasn’t correct. Then science caught up with theology at about the same time that we invented weapons capable of utterly destroying the world several times over, and since then, everybody has known the world is going to end at some point in the future. 

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Digging in Deeper: Luke 22:25-26

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“But he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them have themselves called “Benefactors.” It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I almost never just watch a movie or TV show anymore. I am constantly on alert for where the Gospel is on display in it. Sometimes I wish I didn’t do that all the time, but I can’t turn it off very well. Fear not, though. This doesn’t mean I never really enjoy anything I watch. I still enjoy much of it immensely. In fact, I would even argue that I enjoy it just a little bit more than I would without having my Gospel radar up because I see things in the story that add worth and meaning to the story I might otherwise miss. A case in point is the movie Ford vs. Ferrari that I finally got to watch this past week. I’ve been looking forward to seeing it for a long time, and I was not disappointed. Let me tell you why.

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Morning Musing: Philippians 2:14-18

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“Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

One of the things you learn a as a parent as that there are two ways to do something. You can do it happily or you can grumble your way through it. Well, you don’t actually learn this so much as experience it. Often. This is the kind of thing you expect from children, but adults are hardly immune from it. It is far more common than it seems like it should be for us to forget that grumbling our way along is bad for everyone. When this leaks into the church, it can make a real mess. Paul offers some counsel here to lead us in a different direction. Let’s take a look.

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Morning Musing: Philippians 2:12-13

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“Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

How does salvation work? Who is responsible for it? Does God do all of it and we are just passive participants, or do we play some kind of a role? How much of a role? This is a question and debate that has challenged the church since its inception. Some theologians and interpreters have leaned hard into one side; others have landed squarely on the other. So, which is it? Paul doesn’t give us an answer here. Instead he ratchets up the tension on us. Let’s talk about what’s going here.

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But Is It Real?

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This week we are kicking off a brand-new teaching series that is going to take us through the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on Easter. For the next few weeks, we are going to be walking through Luke’s Passion Narrative beginning with Jesus’ triumphant ride into Jerusalem. These stories are perhaps families, but there is great worth in giving a fresh set of eyes to an old story. You just might be surprised what we’ll find along the way. Let’s get started with a look at Jesus’ message of judgment and how we need to adjust our lives in light of it.

But Is It Real?

Did your folks ever leave you home alone when you were a kid? Once I was old enough, mine did on occasion. And maybe your experience was like mine. Did they ever leave and by the absence of any departing instructions give you total free reign over the house and what you would do in it while they were gone? Yeah, mine didn’t do that very often either. There’s just too much trouble a kid can get into when left entirely to his own devices. What’s the solution to this problem? Why, it’s to keep them engaged with chores and projects, of course! As a result, when your parents left, you got a list. If you completed the list before they got home, that was good. If you didn’t…not so good. 

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