I have been reading a recent book by Brian D. McLaren called "The secret message of Jesus." I have bought several of his books and I have been browsing some of them, but this is the first book by him that I am reading through. I find the message of the book very fascinating and challenging. He has a chapter on the Peaceable Kingdom of God. I didn’t expect an American Christian to be in favour of the non violent alternative that Jesus was preaching. It was a pleasant surprise! He included in this chapter a very good quote of Martin Luther King Jr. after asking some good questions.
Category: Biblical teaching
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The purpose of the Cross
Good Friday evening Keri Jones was ministering on the purpose of the Cross. He stated by reading from Hebrew 2:8-10 and showing us that, through the suffering and death of his Son, God wanted to bring many sons and daughters to glory. The purpose of the cross is greater than forgiveness of sins or the cleansing of sins. Jesus Christ came to die to reproduce himself, like he is saying in John 12:24 when he is speaking of the seed falling to the ground to die to produce a great harvest of the same seed.
When we come to God through Christ, we are born again. Christ is born in us. We become new persons. The old life is gone, a totally new life has begun! The seed of God produces new life in us. We receive divine nature through the new birth by the Holy Spirit. That is why Christ had to die. He had to solve the sin problem. He came to destroy the work of the enemy. He came to deliver us from the evil one. He has redeemed us and transferred us to the Kingdom of God. Sin and death is dealt with.
When we trust the work of Christ we become a new creation, new persons. We receive a new nature. We receive the life of God on the inside. The Spirit of God dwells within us. We have become sons and daughters of God. What a miracle! Now we are taken from power to power, from glory to glory. Our future is bright. We belong to God. We have been redeem. We have been born again. We have received the life of God!
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Only one Mediator
The apostle Paul is making it very clear that there is only one God for all people, and there is only one mediator or middle-man between God and men. The only one that can bring us human beings together with God is the man Jesus Christ. He has opened a new and living way into the very presence of God. Now we may all come directly to God and enjoy a close relationship with him because of Jesus Christ.
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Agents of provision
As I have been searching the Scripture, I have been convinced, that trees are images of people acting and living in certain ways. I have been meditating on the Green Tree concept these days, as it has found a resonance in my heart. I believe that every follower of Jesus Christ is supposed to be a Green Tree! And certainly, all the ministry gifts of the Risen Lord are Green Trees, as they are living in the presence of God, and enjoying a fresh anointing by the Holy Spirit. As Green Trees we are God’s agents of provision to his people!
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Trees in the Bible
I have been using my Logos Bible programe to find a lot of information on trees in the Bible. I couldn’t resist the temptation to include some of the information here in my blog. Just continue reading…
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Lateral covenants today
The covenant nature of God
When we understand that the heart of covenant is relationship, we will easily comprehend the covenant nature of the triune God. God exists in a covenantal relationship with himself as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – a sacred society – a divine community – a covenant unity. I see covenant is an integral part of the very nature of God. Therefore he is also a covenant-making God, for what he does is consistent with who he is.
Everything he does is an expression of himself. He exists in a covenantal relationship and is making covenant with creation, mankind and individuals. He is a faithful God of covenant keeping. He is also a covenant enabling God, – one who through his mercy empowers people to fulfil their obligations of the covenant. This finds its final fulfilment in the new covenant in Jesus Christ which is written in our heart, – in our very nature as new creations in Christ.